


Lily of the Valley

by DerpTheWerido



Category: Friday the 13th Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Child Abandonment, Child Neglect, Comfort, Family Fluff, Father-Daughter Relationship, Flower Crowns, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hockey Mask Jason, Hurt/Comfort, I hope it doesn’t have too much cringe, I should be studying yet here i am, I'd rather write fanfiction than sleep to be honest, Jason is a better dad, Not fast either, Not toooo slow updates, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Alternating, Past Child Abuse, Platonic Relationship, Plot, Probably some plot holes to be honest, Swearing, Trauma, absolutely no regrets, comment are welcome
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2020-06-26 22:23:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 69,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19777666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DerpTheWerido/pseuds/DerpTheWerido
Summary: “Mommy, what do I say when I meet a stranger?”“Why, you should politely say hello, Lily.”And that was exactly how eight-year-old Lilian greeted the so-called legend of Camp Crystal Lake.:-:-:-:-:A story about the relationship between Jason Voorhees and a girl named Lily. What does fate have in store for Lily now that her and Jason’s destiny’s intertwined? Only time will tell, and tell it must, for the clock is ticking, and it’s only a matter of time before everything is unraveled.Note: If you are curious about the absence of the missing chapter 31, please read the notes at the end of chapter 30.





	1. Farewell

Amber leaves blew in the calm autumn air, twisting and turning as they followed the wind. Lily could only watch them for a fleeting second before they were replaced by more oncoming colors. She was still a little saddened by the fact that she didn't receive the three-layer chocolate cake she'd always dreamed of, but a chocolate cupcake made by her mother was just as good. She was tempted to sulk and throw a small fit, but the trouble it would bring just wasn't worth it. Her mom had said she hasn't finished moving all the boxes in yet, but she found that hard to believe, since the men in uniforms had already stopped visiting a while ago. 

She couldn't recall how many times they'd moved, but keeping track wouldn't do much anyway. Asking why would never grant her an answer, at least one from her mother.

She liked it best when they lived in a tall apartment building. She was around six, and had her favorite stuffed animal was named Sprinkles, because it was very colorful! She could still remember the cold, empty feeling resting on her chest when she lost it. It felt numb, and her mood wouldn't budge no matter what she did that day. She even refused to eat dinner, which consisted of chicken and mashed potatoes, her favorite. Not even when her mom tried to bribe her with candy. 

She didn’t talk much in the car, she enjoyed looking out the window and daydreaming. Once, she saw a two-story house that had beautiful bushes, and imagined what it would be like if she and her mom lived there. The scenery flew by as she thought. She focused on the buildings outside and tried to recall if she’d ever seen them before, but she wasn't quite sure. It wasn’t after ten unfamiliar buildings that curiosity got the best of her.

“Mommy, I don’t see any familiar buildings. Why are we going this far?”

“We’re going to a special trail Lily, be a good girl and be patient, alright?”

Lilian could wait, she decided, and agreed with her mother as she continued to observe the new buildings the car passed. As the car kept moving, an abrupt chill crept into her, and she was pulled into a dark memory. Her shards of memory were fuzzy as she surfed through them, going from one to the next. There were clear spots, and there were also cloudy parts that would hurt her head if she tried probing them. 

_"Why did I keep you? Why?" She kept standing there as her feet stayed frozen to the ground, like blocks of unyielding ice. She wasn't sure what to do, but when she finally tried to approach her mom, her shaking figure flinched harshly. "Stop! No! No, no, no!" Her mom started yelling, and between jumbled phrases, she could only make a clear sense of one._ You have his eyes. _"What do you mean?" She wanted to ask, but the next part was so smudged that she couldn't even look at it without getting a small headache._

She didn't know why mom was so scared of her sometimes, with that frightened look in her eyes. Mom's eyes were a pretty brown that looked like the chocolate chips in cookies. She wanted those eyes too, but hers were different from her mother's, for some reason. 

She tried to ask one of the people at "therapy", but their explanation was too complicated for her. They called themselves doctors, but she never saw a heart-listening machine on their shoulders. The dull blocks she played with had paint fraying off on the corners, and the act of moving them over and over again grew repetitive over time. She snuck outside the door her mother was in, and waited as she leaned against the wall. Her mom taught her to be polite and wait until people stopped talking to ask questions, so she didn’t want to be rude and interrupt. She waited patiently outside, oblivious to the fact that she was eavesdropping.

She had an odd feeling when her mom told the other person something weird, but she couldn't really remember what it was. Something about her eyes and an awful night, but she didn't like the accelerated beat of her heart every time she tried to think about it. Her stomach churned at the time, twisting her guts and intestines, giving her a nauseating feeling of dread. But that couldn't be, right? She was waiting outside for her mom like a good girl. Lilian’s body began to shake and the hairs that lined her neck stood up, making her feel insanely uncomfortable. She had quickly walked back to the lobby, taking long strides and sat down on the bean bag when she arrived.

It wasn’t until she heard the car door open that her visit down memory lane was cut short. She unbuckled herself and landed onto the ground, taking in her surroundings. The trees seemed greener than the small woods back home, while the air stayed cool as a soft breeze greeted her body and tickled her nose. Her eyes wandered from a tree, to a mossy rock, and eventually landed on an old looking sign that read, “Camp Crystal Lake”. Lilian began wondering if the place was named crystal lake because the lake looked like a crystal. Lilian soaked the image of the woods around her into her mind like a sponge, saving the images for daydreaming later.

“This place is so cool! Thanks for taking me here, mom!" Her mother always smiled when she said nice things, so she added, "I love you!” Lilian almost thought she had said something wrong when her mom looked on the verge of tears, but a smile quickly formed on her face as she turned her head away from Lilian. She didn’t think too much about it, her mother often had mood swings, and she was pretty immune to it after the first two years.

She and her mom went down a path deep in the woods and came across a lake with a dock painted white. Lilian was absolutely fascinated, she never really went out much, her mom didn’t allow her to wander at all, so she has never seen a lake, let alone one this large. She wanted to take a closer look, but felt a hand enclose around her wrist, it was her mom’s hand, soft and warm. She looked up at her mom, who wasn’t looking directly at her.

“What’s wrong, mommy?” She swore she saw a ghost of a frown.

“Mommy forgot something at home, can you promise not to leave this area while I’m gone?”

Her mom’s facial expression now looked full of sorrow, she couldn’t understand, why was she sad? She questioned her mother, only for the woman to force her to promise that she’d stay still. Lilian promised, not knowing why her mom was acting this strange. Her mom’s slender arms engulfed her small frame as she felt pressure squeezing her body.

“Mommy, I can’t breathe.” She tried to hold her breath for as long as she can, for a hug was rare, but it didn't last very long. Her mom released a bit of pressure, arms still lingering around her torso as she apologized and abruptly stood up, almost tripping Lilian. Without so much as a goodbye, she stood loyally in her area as the trees steadily blocked her mother’s figure. She stood there for a while, not quite knowing what to do, until she grew tired of standing and sat down, resting for a while.

She then grew tired of sitting, and wandered over to the docks, observing the wide lake. It didn’t really look like a crystal, but it shined like the ones she saw at school on the screen. Her feet tested the wood catwalk-like structure that circled a small portion of the lake. She walked along the edge of the catwalk about two in a half times, slipping between daydreaming and staring off into space. She became drowsy, and picked a nice shade under a tree to take a nap, making sure that she stayed in the area she promised she’d stay in. She leaned against the tree, thinking about nothing in particular. Her eyelids beginning to increase in weight ever so slightly, and just as her last drop of consciousness about faded, she swore she saw a large figure among the trees staring at her.

:-:-:-:-:

It’s been eight years since that incident, eight years of this just because of one simple mistake. Audrey Handler was seventeen at the time, and she went to a party with a few friends that drove her there. Audrey was naïve at the time. Although she had her limits, she would occasionally find herself in interesting situations. It was another mildly intriguing party, she talked to a few people, got flirted with a couple of times. It was when this man with blue eyes came and talked to her that she felt off. Audrey’s gut was telling her to get the hell out of there, find her friends, anything to stay away from this man, but she didn’t listen.

_The party wasn't over the top, but still loud enough to the point where you have to raise your voice to be heard. She and her friends split up as they searched for entertainment, and her friend Ashley had already struck up a conversation._

_"Hey, good-looking." She feigned uninterest as she eyed him in her peripheral vision. Playing hard to get worked almost always lead to positive results._

_"Yes?" She batted her eyelashes as she said this, and the man stood even closer to her. They talked for a while, and she was considering signaling to friends to help her out because of the boring subjects they discussed. Who only talked about themselves for seven straight minutes? She wouldn't have been able to endure the unimpressionable words falling from his mouth if it weren't for his looks. She didn't feel guilty for thinking like that, a lot of people do that while thinking they're complete angels. Such hypocrites._

_Finally, he brought up the topic of getting drinks, and she gritted her teeth as she trudged over the drinks table in her high heels. She was glad the table resembled a minibar, and her feet felt lighter than air as she shifted the weight to her bottom. He didn't ask her what she wanted to drink, but he managed to not pick scotch whiskey, so she was glad. She sipped at her drink, and they talked a bit more, and he had the decency to let her talk from time to time._

_"Got something on your face." He wiped the corner of her mouth with his hand, and she blushed. In fact, his rough fingers felt so nice near her lips that she didn't catch the slight movement to her left. A crucial mistake. She turned away after he retracted his hand. Taking a few more bashful sips, she also failed to catch the creepy smile he wore on his face._

_It wasn't until she was in the car that she knew something was wrong._

She's tried almost everything to forget. Anything and everything. Drugs, therapy, even ads that seemed too good to be true. It seemed impossible to forget when you are reminded of him every time you see your daughter. She had dreamed of a family once. Of a caring husband, a cute daughter, accompanied by a dog or cat. She never thought that someday she would hate her daughter so much that she’d abandon her.

Audrey loved her daughter, she really did, or she thinks she does. When Lilian was first born, she loathed her very existence, she would glare at her whenever she cried and often neglect her. Violent thoughts and images of her dead daughter's body were very common and sometimes relieving. She considered bashing Lily's skull against her crib once, but it would've been too messy. However, that hatred became fondness over time. Granted, a very long time, but Audrey still loved Lilian in a way.

She thought she’d eventually get over the eyes, and maybe even become a better mom, but the trauma only worsened as Lilian grew more like her father. At first, it was the hair, although Lilian had dark brown hair like Audrey, it was a bit wavy. Very subtle but noticeable. The wave reminded Audrey of that night. The few coming years were harsh as Lilian’s appearance took after her father’s, so painful that she just cracked.

Audrey told herself that this would alleviate the pain. The suffering, but despite all of it, she still grew somewhat attached to Lilian. “I love you!”, was what Lilian said to her, even as she was going to abandon her. The guilt was there long before she set the plan in action, but now it was at its peak, and it was a miracle that she didn’t start crying.

She told herself to not get too attached, but she still hugged Lilian tightly anyways, almost letting go of the plan. It was after the hug that she felt tears slide down her cheek, and as she headed back towards her car, she didn’t look back.

:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s my first fan fiction guys! Constructive criticism is welcome! I will add chapter two in around a day or two but after that J will try to stick to a weekly posting schedule. Tell me what you think and how I can improve, see you next chapter! (if I’m not dead yet.)（＾∇＾）


	2. A Strange Occurence

The golden sun rose as the infamous crystal lake killer set out to check on any trespassers. The routine was monotonous, but it was Jason’s duty to eradicate anyone who defiles his mother’s memory.

It was around autumn again, where the leaves transformed into brown, red, and yellow, like the turkey in his animal book. The leaves were good camouflage for bear traps and delicately placed tripwires. Although campers have declined since summer, there are still occasional trespassers that come and die here.

The quick clinks of bear traps were the only things that disturbed the silence as he tested them. After making sure each and every trap was in good condition, He made his way back to the cabin. The door whined with a creak as it opened, letting the wind in the ever so still cabin.

It was still a chilly morning and Jason had plenty of time to sharpen his machete, fix broken traps, and just lounge around to be honest. After basically coming back to life, he supposed he was equivalent to a zombie?  
Once in a while, he would feel a tightness in his abdomen, or acute pain in his stomach, indicating hunger or the need to pee. It was closer to uncomfortableness than it was anything else, really

Lifting open the trapdoor leading to the mines, He stepped through and began heading towards his workbench, grabbing a few tools whiling sitting down on a wooden chair that screeched under his weight. He began fixing and refining his machete using the stone cutter, eyes observing the blade that was used to decapitate his mother that night. It was a storming night, as he witnessed his mother’s head fall to the ground with a thump.

Thump, and then it rolled a little. He made eye contact with the head, and for a moment it did not occur to him that she was dead.

Thump, the dull sound muffled by the rain around him echoed in his mind, and the scene played on repeat in his head.

He was deeply saddened by that incident, and even made a shrine with candles for his mother’s head. It would remind him of the times his mother and him had. When he got a homemade cake for his birthday, even when the other kids squashed it, it still tasted great; a mother’s touch, he supposed.

Sometime between repairing traps and sharpening useful tools, He exited the abandoned mines and decided to check the area near the lake. Last spring, a mother deer had some fawns that matured into adults this year, but one of the unfortunate fawns got caught in a bear trap and bled to death after trying to free itself. He had always had a soft spot for animals of any kind, they don’t judge him or humiliate him. Some are soft and most won’t hurt you unless you hurt them first, and they treat him like a real person.

Whir walking, he found a new bird nest that wasn’t there before with baby chicks in it. They looked grey and fluffy, full of energy and potential to become an adult bird that flies freely. Jason had just started on his way back to his cabin when he heard voices, not too far away. On reflex, his hand landed on his machete immediately before he began to carefully make his way towards the sounds.

What he witnessed next almost made him give away his position out of blind rage. A woman and a girl came into view as Jason patiently observed them, listening attentively to their conversation. The woman who was most likely the mother was making her daughter promise to stay in this area. The girl was completely oblivious to her mother in the middle of abandoning her, but Jason knew something was wrong the moment guilt flashed across the mother’s face. He thought back to his own mother, what if she abandoned him at the camp? He was already being bullied and outcasted by the kids, and even with his mother’s protection, he still wasn’t safe.

He watched as the mother tightly hugged the daughter, her face now only showed guilt and despair, but the daughter was blind to this. He kept a close eye on them as the mother released the daughter and hurriedly left without so much of a goodbye or last regards. Hell, she didn’t even leave her any food or water! Jason was deeply furious and beyond disappointed now, is this how people behaved out there? Leaving their children to fend for themselves?! He never pitied his victims, but there were a few times he came close. Once because a woman was horribly abused by her so-called boyfriend.

He stood ever so still as he stared at the girl, wondering what she’ll do next. The girl looked around seven or eight, give or take. She also seemed very patient, Jason noted, as she trailed along the lake's catwalk two in a half times, waiting for her mother that won’t come back. At first, she just stood there, and Jason almost thought she’d just stay there forever, but then she sat on the ground, and eventually just did some exercise as she waited for time to pass.

He stalked backward as the girl headed in his direction, but he was certain that he had not yet been discovered, as the girl seemed to be searching for something in particular. Was it food or water? He waited behind a tall tree abundant with amber leaves as he saw the girl lean against the trunk and stare off into space. The girl seemed tired, and he saw how her blinking steadily grew slower as her body began to relax. Before the girl had completely fallen asleep, her eyes flickered towards the area he was standing at, but he didn’t duck or try to hide. He just stood as still as a statue as the girl slept soundly.

:-:-:-:-:

It was after Lilian woke up that the paranoia began creeping in ever so slowly. She expected her mom to wake her up, or even carried her to the car by now. She didn’t have the best sense of time, but she was sure at least three hours have passed since she arrived here. She told herself that her mom just got stuck in traffic, that’s all. It happens all the time, and she hated it because the cars would block her vision, and instead of colorful buildings, she got to view dull cars.

She decided to spend more time exploring away from her area, surely her mom wouldn’t mind that much, right? She saw a deer and tried to approach it, making sure to move carefully without much sound. When she was within five yards of it, she stopped, noting the vibrant chestnut brown of the deer’s fur. She tried to slowly walk toward it, maybe even befriend it, but the deer fled and dashed to the right before she even processed it.

She was a bit hurt at the deer’s action, she wasn’t trying to hurt it or anything, she just wanted to maybe pet it and they can become friends, but she recovered from the deer incident not too long after she started exploring again. The deer reminded her of how some of the kids at school would deliberately ignore her or insult her. She didn’t know why they did that, but she always greeted them politely because her mom raised her that way and she didn’t want to be rude.

Her movements became sluggish over time, and after she fell two feet from a tree while trying to get a cool red leaf, she decided to rest once more. She skipped to a nearby stump, but before she got to her destination, she tripped on something. She turned back towards the spot where she’d lost balance and spotted a thin silver line, like a fishing line or something. She tugged it once more, but the silver line lost her attention as it didn’t do anything other than bounce a bit due to her finger tugging at it. She sat on the smooth hard stump, thinking of what it’d be like if she were a Disney princess. Maybe then the deer and her could be friends, and they’d go on awesome adventures together as they rescued another princess from a shark or cockroach.

She didn’t realize that she was hungry until after she heard her stomach complain, it was begging for food, but just as she was about to say “mom!” She stopped herself. She remembered that her mom told her to stay, and that she hadn’t come back yet. The sky looked like a mix of her breakfast now, yellow and red like some bacon with scrambled eggs. She walked away from the stump.

This time, she couldn’t shake off the growing fear of being lost. She had called out several times already, wandering aimlessly through the forest, hoping her mom had come back and was already looking for her. What if she can’t find her? Then mom would get scared and start crying. She didn’t like it when her mom cried, she couldn’t comfort her, even if she tried. Her calls began to grow frantic now, wanting to return to her home, even if they had to share it with other people and her room was very crowded. She just wanted to go back, but her fatigue took over and her throat became a bit hoarse as her yells died down.

She slowly crept back to her smooth stump, hungry and exhausted, her eyes not focusing on anything in particular, until she caught a few items on her stump. She hurried to it, and discovered two cans of peaches, a protein bar, and a bag of corn chips. Lilian hastily looked around her, inspecting every tree and movement but found nothing suspicious. She checked the food that magically appeared and deemed it okay to eat after making sure it wasn’t already opened or expired. She wolfed down the juicy peaches, starving from walking so much. She finished the corn chips just as fast but decided to save the protein bar in case she has an emergency later.

She began to wander yet again, searching for a place to sleep, as the sky began to darken into a navy blue filled with white specks. She stumbled across a cabin not too far into her walk and knocked on the door. She noted that the lights were on, meaning there were people inside, but when no one answered the door, she slowly opened it.

“Excuse me.” She whispered as she stepped inside, maybe they were sleeping? But it’s not that late yet. She saw two bags on the kitchen counter and almost touched them when she hastily shook her head, scolding herself. Her mom didn’t raise her to be like this! She needed to ask before touching other people’s belongings! She strolled upstairs and checked each room quietly, in case they were sleeping. She didn’t find anyone, but there was a faint red smudge on the bathroom sink. Lilian figured the people that were here probably left and forgot their bags, which meant that she can look through them.

Lilian rummaged through the bags, finding things like toiletries, clothes that didn’t fit her, and more snacks. She even found a turkey sandwich! She concluded that the food was enough for three days, and strode upstairs, preparing for bed. She picked an emerald green blanket from the bag and wrapped it around her after brushing her teeth with a new toothbrush. Feeling refreshed, She wondered if her mom would be mad if she found her in here, since she did go pretty far away from the area she promised to stay in. She didn’t want to think about that right now, she was tired, and before long, she made her way to dreamland, one of her favorite places to visit.

:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter! Who’s the one that gave her those food items? Don’t be too corn-cerned (see what I did there) you might get a hint next chapter! Until then, see you in a day or two! ( ´ ▽ ` )


	3. The Legend

It was still dark outside when Lilian sat up on the giant bed. She stayed sitting up for a while, attempting to recall what she dreamed about but to no avail. She hopped off the bed and strolled towards the bathroom, wanting to get rid of the sleepiness that still resides in her body. As she was brushing her teeth, she noticed that the red smear of something from the sink was gone. That’s weird, had someone came in while she was asleep? Oh no, she went through their stuff without permission! She quickly finished using the bathroom and dashed downstairs, checking for any signs that someone may have been here. The bags seemed to be untouched, the chairs were in the same position, and…

“Ah Hah!” On the carpet were dirty footprints left by someone with large feet, size fourteen? But wait, there were two bags so there should be two people right? Why was there only one set of footprints? Lilian started to worry, who came in last night? They didn’t harm her so that was good, but what do they want? She didn’t want to go outside, she wanted to remain in the cabin till it was brighter, so she doesn’t have to worry about creepy shadows.

She ate the turkey sandwich which tasted quite nice, it was made with whole grain bread. She didn’t quite like the taste of it , but the turkey masked the bread’s flavor, making it taste as if it wasn’t there in the first place. After savoring the sandwich, she examined the things inside the bags more closely. There were useful and not so useful things, so she separated them into two groups. The blue bag now contained a watch, scissors, a lighter, bug spray, and goggles. She put the big clothes and her other unimportant items into the orange bag, and finally, she placed the food, water, and pocket knife on the table.

According to the watch, it was currently nine-twenty six, three hours before lunchtime. She peered out the window and noticed that it seemed brighter now. She cautiously made her way outside, storing the pocket knife in her legging pocket just in case. After the coast was clear, she went back the way she came yesterday. She followed the familiar trees and bushes and finally made it to her stump, still smooth and hard, except it was cooler this time. She sat on her stump wondering if the person who gave her the food was the same person that entered the cabin, were they looking out for her? Lilian has a sudden urge to find them, so she stood up, not really knowing what to do. She then proceeded to sit back down when she realized that she had no clue or leads whatsoever. She was like those side characters that could get murdered as the detective struggled to solve the mystery.

She tried recalling anything suspicious or out of the ordinary, but there wasn’t really anything except the food and footprints, until she revisited the memories of when she first arrived. The image was foggy when she tried to tap into it, but there was a person. A tall one that was peeking at her behind the tree that day. She can’t say much more other than the person was tall. _Well, that wasn’t very helpful._

She marched back to the cabin, trying to count how many minutes it took to get back from the stump to the cabin. When she got there, she concluded that it took somewhere between eight to ten minutes. She lost count when she reached seven minutes. As she stepped into the cabin, she checked the time, ten o’ one. Okay, so she still had plenty of time before lunch, maybe her mom came back by now? Lilian didn’t know where the entrance was, and she didn’t want to get lost, so she located the lake and stood on the dock, watching the little waves shift in the water. The stump was behind to the left of the lake, hidden among the trees, so you’ll miss it if you’re running or not observant enough.

She placed her hand in the cold water, splashing it around and watching the water still. She then pocketed some rocks near the edge of the lake and tried to skip them. She’d seen it in a cartoon once, the rock bounced seven times! She copied the stance the character was in, gripping the rock as if it were a frisbee while stationing both legs to steady herself. She threw the rock as hard as she can, thinking that the harder you throw it, the more times it’ll skip. She was wrong. The rock plummeted directly into the lake, sinking to the bottom. She was disappointed, but that didn’t stop her from trying, practice makes perfect! By the time she could almost always make the rock skip at least two times, she was in need of food.

She managed to skip a rock four times and when the rock finished skipping, she blurted out,

“Mommy look!”

But of course, there was no one but the wind and air. Her mom wasn’t here, she forgot, again. At this point, she suspected that her mom won’t come back, it made her feel worthless. Did her mom really leave her out here to die, would she really abandon her? No, she loved her right? If she didn’t then she wouldn’t have hugged her, or made her birthday cupcakes, or be nice to her, right? _But there were also times where she hit you, ignored you, and now, she abandoned you._ When did her thoughts become negative? The voice was getting louder now, _you could die here! What if an animal attacked you? Mom doesn’t love you! She never did!_ No, no, stop! Don’t think like that! She held her head tightly, wanting to stop those dreadful thoughts circling her mind.

She sprinted past the stump and to the cabin as fast as she could, wanting to take her mind off those distasteful thoughts. She broke into the cabin sweating profusely, her shirt now moist with sweat. She pulled a chair and sat in it, catching her breath before checking the time, twelve-eleven, past lunchtime. She dug through the food pile in front of her as she selected some cheese puffs, a can of tomato soup, and the uneaten protein bar. She ate at a mild pace, starting with the protein bar and finishing with the cheese coated puffs. She was tired, and she was feeling lazy, so she didn't move. She sat in the chair and leaned on the table with her arms acting as pillows. It took longer than last night to fall asleep this time. Her eyes were closed and yet her mind wandered, not relaxed enough for her to fall asleep. Her tense shoulders relaxed after a while, and soon after her state of wake altered into one of peace, her mind ultimately finding peace within the chaos.

Lilian awoke with a jolt, snapping out of a nightmare. She dreamed of being chased by something, and she ran as fast as she could. When she finally managed a good distance from it, she fell. Without warning, the ground beneath her just disappeared and she kept falling until she saw the ground and then she woke up. She felt even more tired after napping, which was the opposite of what she wanted when she decided to nap in the first place. Dragging herself out of the chair, she was about to take a walk when she saw something grey appear in the sky. Smoke! She jogged towards the smoke, hoping to find her mom, waiting for her with open arms. What she saw wasn’t what she hoped to see, but a part of her knew that couldn’t be her mom.

She saw two males sitting across from each other, conversing about a legend? The taller male took notice of her and beckoned for her to come closer. She was hesitant, for her mom warned her about strangers, but she walked closer anyways and introduced herself. She found out that the taller male was Chad, and the shorter male was his son, Mathew.

“You ever heard the legend of Jason Voorhees, kid?” Chad asked. She said no, now a bit curious about this Jason Voorhees.

“Well, legend says he lives right here, in camp crystal lake. He drowned in the lake and now kills people for fun. People have gone missing ‘round here, there was a missing girl not too long ago. My son ‘n I decided to camp ‘round here just for fun you know.”

She asked why they would camp here if people went missing in the area, weren’t they scared? The man told Lilian that it was just a legend, something people invented to get a scare out of others. She wasn’t so sure, her mind flashed back to a memory where her teacher was reading books to her. _In the heart of every legend, there is a grain of truth._ It was about a knight that rescued a cat, and the moral was that legends might become exaggerated with time, but there will always be some truth to it. She loved that story, it gave her cheeks feel a warm tingling feeling.

“So what ‘er you doing out here, all alone?”

Lilian still hasn’t accepted the fact that her mom abandoned her, she still wanted to believe that her mom would come back.

“My mommy forgot something at home, she’s going to get me at seven.”

She didn’t like lying, but she didn’t want to tell people she just met anything about her family and her. She still wasn’t sure if she could trust them.

“Well, it’s five o’ nine right now, kid.”

Chad offered her to stay with him until her mom arrived, just to be safe, but she declined, saying that she’ll wait at the entrance. Mathew stood up to accompany her, but she told him she’d be fine, so he retreated to sitting back on the ground. She strode among the trees, coming across a faint path in the grass and following it until she was a safe distance away. She saw a squirrel scurry away as it spotted her, retreating to the higher branches of a tree. She kept walking along the path until she heard something that startled her.

In the distance, she recognized the sounds as screams, terrified screams. On no, Chad and Mathew were in trouble! Was it a bear!? She ran back right in time as she detected Chad. No, Chad’s body. Mathew was running towards her now, tears gathered at the corner of his eyes, She was about to ask if he was alright when Mathew suddenly grabbed her by the arm, ducking behind her.

“Take her! Let me go, please! I didn’t do anything wrong!”

She took in the man in front of her and immediately recognized him. He was the same one she saw on the first day, the one that was hiding behind the trees! Except instead of a nice tall man that helps her, he was splattered in red—no, blood. Lilian felt her shoulders tense, her eyes widen, as adrenaline pumped through her. Mathew was sacrificing her to this man, how could he? She was struggling in Mathew’s grasp when he suddenly went flying to the ground.

Using his arms, Mathew pushed himself up, as the man who killed his dad approached him. Mathew clutched his bruised jaw, backing up as fast as he could away from the killer.

“Please, what do you want, I’ll do anything, please don’t-“

Mathew's plea was cut short as two large hands wrapped around his throat, cutting his air supply. He struggled as much as he could, punching the killer’s shoulder, kicking, but all his efforts were in vain as his body went limp and his head fell backward.

She was beyond horrified now, the tall man just choked Mathew to death, and she couldn’t do anything. She only watched in silence as she backed away slowly, clamping her hands around her mouth. She saw how Mathew struggled in the man’s grasp, he was strong, there was no doubt about it. As Mathew’s corpse fell to the ground, the man turned his body towards her. 

•~•~•~•

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Third Chapter! I’ll start posting daily until chapter 10, and then the chapter will come weekly. What’s Lilian going to do when faced with hokey masks killer? Sorry for the cliffhanger, just be patient please! Until next chapter, see you! (*'▽'*)


	4. Freeze

Jason didn’t have a clock, but was certain that the girl was going to starve sooner or later. He knew there was a young couple staying in a cabin north from here, and started heading towards them. There was a possibility that the girl could discover the cabin, so he tried to put more thought into this murder than usual, trying to spill as least blood as possible. 

He picked up a rock smaller than his hand, but a bit larger than his palm. The window shattered upon contact with the rock, glass shards flying wildly into the cabin. Inside, he heard voices, the couple were debating on who to go outside and check, it seems the male was going to check. Oh well, unlucky him. As the back door swung open, it revealed a blond male, around five eight or nine, armed with a pair of scissors. 

He crept to the side of the cabin, keeping a close eye on the man. Using a rock the size of his thumb, he struck a bin on the side opposite to him, alerting the male. 

The man slowly walked to the other side, taking a stance, ready to strike at any moment. His shoulders were too tense and his legs were shaky. Not favorable attributes for survival, but he was just a camper, so Jason didn’t expect much. When the male took notice of a presence behind him, it was far too late. In one swift movement, Jason pulled out the machete and dug it deep in his right shoulder, boring through flesh and bone as blood spilled onto the ground. The male screamed in agony as he fell to the ground, spitting incoherent pleas he was all too used to. He decided to end it quickly and jammed the blade in his skull in one swift motion, releasing a cracking sound as Jason twisted it around. He removed the blade, making a screeching sound as blood speckled around the body. One down, one to go.

Jason heard hurried footsteps leading upstairs in the cabin, he was hoping the woman would just run out of the cabin, but no, she was going to hide. Jason began to grow agitated, he could try and use his hands as a weapon, but judging from the fumbling upstairs, the woman is likely going to be armed. Finally, he settled on using his machete, there was going to be blood either way, so he’ll just make it quick.

He stalked upstairs, being deadly silent, listening for breathing as he examined each room. He heard shuffling in the bathroom and slowly entered, still listening. He suspected the woman was hiding behind the curtains at first, but realized that the heavy breathing was coming from somewhere else, somewhere that wasn’t in the shower. As he looked around, he found only one other spot that a grown female could hide, the sink cupboard. Raising his machete, he opened the cupboard with a click, and before the woman even had a chance to scream, his blade pierced her in the chest, splattering blood when he removed it. 

_First the bodies, and then the blood._ He carried the woman on his left shoulder as he marched down to retrieve the man, which he proceeded to carry on his right shoulder. He troted to his cabin, where the bodies sagged and slid down when he added them to the pile. 

You can’t really clean up blood if it’s soaked in the ground, so he decided to leave it, it was futile to try anyway. He tried once, it didn’t do much. After disposing of the sharp glass pieces inside the cabin, he used some towels in the bathroom and started to get to work. First, he wiped the large blood puddles near where the body once was, carefully making sure the blood didn't spread. Then, moving onto the smaller stains, he pressed the towel to the blood, letting the crimson color seep through. He was extra careful this time, not wanting to take the risk of being discovered.

As he tainted towel after towel, he heard the soft shifting of leaves, there were two outcomes of this. One, this was a new camper that needed to be rid of, or two, it was that little girl. He was anything but risky, he concluded, as he swiped the remaining blood and quickly slipped through the back door.

As the sky adjusted to a deep blue, he thought it was time to head back to the couple's cabin. Machete in hand, he proceeded to the cabin, prepared to kill, if necessary. Jason snuck in through the back door, making little to no noise as he infiltrated the cabin. On the second floor, He saw the girl sleeping soundly, she snored. Jason softly sighed, glad he didn’t stay when he heard a noise. He advanced to the bathroom to find a faint streak of blood left on the sink. Shoot, she didn’t see that, did she? He instantly wiped the blood off with his glove, wondering if the girl noticed it, surely she didn’t, right? Otherwise, she would’ve gone and slept in another cabin. He didn’t dwell too much on it. As he exited the bathroom, a sudden movement startled him, making his grip on the machete tighten. 

He calmly went towards the girl, she tossed and turned. _A nightmare?_ But her face was one of peace, and her lips displayed a smile. An adventurous dream? The girl’s leg shot up from her blanket and struck the air, like a snake. Her leg retreated not too long after, falling limply onto the bed. She turned her back towards him, making the bright green blanket around her meet the floor. Gently, he draped the blanket over the girl, tugging it so that it covered her calves. He didn’t want her to catch a cold, his mother always told him to cover his stomach even if it’s hot, otherwise he’ll get sick. Patting it down at areas, he tried to increase the chances of the blanket staying on her during the night. He stayed longer than he intended, observing her occasional movements until he eventually left. 

He didn’t need to sleep much, a few hours was enough to last for a week. He never liked sleeping anyway, it made him feel vulnerable, for anyone could attack him while he was unconscious. Nevertheless, he liked the comfort of his small bed that was sure to break if he laid there for too long. 

:-:-:-:-:

He did his early morning rounds, checking for traps, and or trespassers. He decided to see how the baby birds from yesterday were doing. As he finished admiring the birds from afar, splashing sounds were heard coming from the lake. Strange, he didn’t hear any bells go off when he left, did they just get lucky? Or did they come after he left the cabin? On alert, he maneuvered his way towards the lake, expecting people to be swimming, but the only thing he saw was the same girl from yesterday. Did she still think her mom was coming? He watched in the shadows, she was trying to skip rocks across the lake. Most of them only skipped once or twice, but eventually, a rock she threw skidded across the lake four times. 

“Mommy look!”

That struck him hard. His mother was always there to watch him when he accomplished something, like making an animal friend, or some other activities. He was almost always with his mother, since the other kids ignored and humiliated him, he wouldn’t have survived if it weren’t for his mother. It seemed that the girl still loved her mom very much, and still believed that she’d come back for her. Jason wondered why her mother abandoned her in the first place, the mother must’ve had some form of attachment to her, otherwise, she would’ve just dumped the girl here and left. So why?

He continued to watch as the girl all of a sudden stood up, circling her head with her hands, palms pressed against her ears. She seemed to be trying to block out some sort of noise, but what? Was she hallucinating? He saw some campers hallucinate once, thinking there was something talking to them when in reality nothing was there. They disturbed the peace greatly, scaring away wild animals and destroying the habitat. He recalled roughly shoving one of their heads into a tree several times, each hit making a thumping sound. He repeated this until they were knocked out, then proceeded to puncture their stomach with a satisfying stab, leaving them to bleed to death. 

He finished revisiting this memory when he surveyed the lake and realized that the girl was gone. _Where did she—_ thump, thump, thump, her footsteps were in close proximity, she left not long ago. Had he been discovered? He wasted no time as he pursued the girl, effortlessly catching up to her. He stayed around ten yards back, close enough to see her but not close enough for her to hear him, her hands were still pressed tightly against her ears, after all. 

The girl rushed inside the cabin, eating some food on the table, and then wrapped her arms together, forming a makeshift pillow. He saw the tears that escaped her eyes slowly drip down onto her shirt, why was she sad? When he would cry because of being bullied, his mother would always hug him and whisper kind words into his ears, making sure he got better before leaving him alone again. He wasn’t the best at comforting. In fact, he’s never comforted another human being before, he never had the chance. He thought it’d be best to give her some space, he couldn’t just barge in there. He’d definitely scare the sad girl, making it even worse. 

The sky was a mixture of purple and orange hues by the time Jason hiked back to the cabin, his legs fatigued. He was halfway to his workspace when Ding Ding Ding! _T_ _he bells._ More people? The bells rang again, indicating that it was definitely a person, or people. The bells that rang was the farthest one away, meaning that they were west of the camp, near the trail that most campers took. No loitering around, duty calls.

Dragging his way to the location with smoke, he arrived just in time to hear a man say, “Suit yourself”. The leaves rustled, somebody had just left. He observed the two men at the fire, calculating who would die first. After lingering in the shadows, Jason decided that he would kill the older looking man first, the reason being that he appeared more muscular than the other man. Jason walked swiftly, cutting off whatever came out of the older man’s mouth as he punctured the machete into the space between his eyes. The blade went through the skull and bore into a tree as the other man screamed. The machete was deeper in the tree than he thought, and wouldn’t budge as he tried to pull it out. As he was adding more pressure to pull his weapon out, quick footsteps were detected in the distance. Two people meant he had to chase one of them down, which in turn meant more work. Leaving the machete, he settled on slamming the other man’s skull into the tree before the other person arrived, but the footsteps were closer than he thought, and the same girl from before emerged from the bushes. 

His eyes widened for a split second before shrinking back to normal. In the split second that surprise took him, the man grabbed and ducked behind the girl, trying to bargain for his life along the lines of, 

“Take her! Let me go, please! I didn’t do anything wrong!”

He almost scoffed at this, a grown man, using a little girl as a shield instead of defending her. His mother was right about evil people in this world. Using a curled hand, His fist collided with the man’s jaw, slamming him to the ground. He didn't bother to retrieve his machete, this coward was going to receive a slow death, asphyxiation to be specific. Jason lifted him up by his throat, applying pressure that painfully strangled him. A moment after the man’s body went limp, he dropped the corpse to the ground with a thump, turning his attention to the now shaking girl. 

He wasn’t surprised when the only emotion on her face were ones of terror and fear. He _did_ just murder a person in front of her very eyes. She looked like a deer in the headlights of a car, not knowing what to do, just waiting for something to happen. He removed his machete from the tree as the body slipped to the ground, landing to the right of the tree. He turned his head back to the girl, and to his surprise, she hasn’t fled. Why was she still here? Wasn’t she scared? As he slipped the machete back to its sheath, he noticed the faint twitches in the girl’s legs. _Oh, so that’s why._ He’s had his fair share of victims who just froze on the spot when he was about to end them. They were the easiest to deal with, mostly because the state of fear or shock they were in made them simple to kill. So now what? Was the girl just going to stand there? Is she going to collapse? His questions were answered when the girl stood a bit taller, turning away and dashing opposite of him. 

He didn’t respond, just stood still as he looked to where she was standing not too long ago. He heard her heavy footfalls come in contact with the ground, growing fainter every second. Usually, he’d be on their tail already, but not this time. He listened to the footsteps fade away as he grabbed the bodies, dragging them back to the tunnels in the mines. Dumping the bodies on the rancid pile, he couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty for scaring the girl. 

:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter four is up! I will be leaving for a trip in an area that doesn't have internet, so update will be a bit delayed, sorry! I will probably get to chapter five before I leave for it, until then, see you next chapter! (^o^)


	5. The Trail

Lilian’s blood ran cold, the adrenaline pumping more fiercely than ever. The man took a step, but not towards her, thankfully. Her relieved state was short-lived however, when the man plucked that blade out of the tree facing her yet again. She froze on the spot, legs trembling out of control like wobbly jello. She wants to run, but her legs did not listen, wouldn’t move when she tried, _this is it,_ Lilian thought. She watched as the man put the knife into a knife holder? She didn’t know the word, but the tension in her legs did not release. She was even more scared now. If the man wasn’t going to stab her, then he must want to choke her, just like he did with Mathew. Lilian expected him to move towards her, like a predator, cornering its prey and toying with its food, but the man stood motionless, just staring at her. Expecting _her_ to move. 

Lilian determined that she had a chance, a sliver of hope, and so without a second thought, she shot out of there. She felt faster than before, faster than she ever was in her life. She was listening still, trying to detect footfalls beside her own, but heard none. Nonetheless, she did not dare turn back, afraid of what she might spot. 

She almost ran right into the door, before fumbling with the handle and shutting it behind her. She pulled out her pocket knife and waited, in case she heard footsteps, she didn’t. A few minutes passed like seconds, as Lilian waited patiently for the man to chase after her, to barge in with the sharp knife. After at least ten minutes, Lilian calmed down a notch, feeling the adrenaline slowly disperse, fading away. 

To say she felt unsafe was a huge understatement, she was almost sure she’d get little to no sleep tonight. Still on edge, Lilian crept her way to the watch next to the bags, checking the time, six-o’five, not time for bed yet. Lilian didn’t want to leave the house, but she also didn’t want to go upstairs, fearing the man would come after her and then she’d be cornered. 

She examined herself: covered in sweat, overworked, and sluggish. Trying to find a new change of clothes, the closest match she could get was a green t-shirt that draped down to her thighs and black shorts and would most definitely fall off if she were to run. Lilian debated on whether or not to take a shower, the man would’ve come by now if he wanted to kill her right? But what if they knew that she would think like this and was waiting for when she was occupied? She felt torn between getting clean or guarding the door, but ultimately decided to take a shower.

She walked into the bathroom, undressing before finding a small lump in her back pocket. She tried prying it out with her fingers but it wouldn’t budge, so she eventually turned it upside down and shook it as hard as she can before the foreign object fell out. It was a ring that looked like a pretzel stick from the fair, there were two silver lines that intertwined into each other, with little white spots on top. Lilian tried putting it on, but it was a little big for her middle finger. She wondered how it got into her back pocket in the first place.

Not wanting to go to deep into it, she took a quick steamy shower as she shuffled back to her room, changing into the huge clothes and plopping her body onto the bed. She wasn’t surprised when she couldn’t quite fall asleep, her body was tired, yet her mind wandered, not relaxed enough for her to fall asleep. Her tense shoulders relaxed after a while, and soon after, her state of wake altered into one of peace, her mind ultimately finding peace within the chaos. 

She did not go outside after that night, she awoke numerous times during the night, only to fall back asleep, swearing she saw the hockey mask somewhere. She stayed inside the cabin, using up her food supply in three days. She was too afraid to go outside, scared that the man would be waiting for her, prepared to end her. She didn’t move even when her stomach complained after eight hours with no food. 

At first, it was just stomach cramps, but it only worsened as time went on. Her reaction time seemed to slow as her muscles ached. On the second day, she couldn’t concentrate on anything and would have cognitive issues, impairing her memory. It was the third night that was by far the worst. Lilian tossed and turned, closing her eyes and stayed still, trying anything she could to fall asleep. She soon grew hot, and tossed the blanket away from her, frustrated with her inability to fall asleep. It was after hours of restless movement that her body succumbed to fatigue, finally granting her rest. 

She’d spent almost the full day sleeping in, snapping her head towards the door when she heard a knock at the door. _So he’s finally come huh? Hopefully, it’ll be a quick de- No!_ What was she thinking! She couldn’t believe she’d lose the will to live only after a week! Lilian clutched the pocket knife in her hand, swallowing the saliva building up in the back of her throat. _God, I really hope I don’t die._

Swiftly peeking out the door, she saw nothing as she pushed it open a bit more, still paranoid. It was going well until the door hit something midway. _What the-_ Lilian half expected the man to jump out from behind the door, but was greeted with— a blueberry? If she wasn't confused before, she was now. Her muscles relaxed and she picked up the blueberry, searching for the man. To her surprise, she discovered a trail of blueberries leading somewhere in the woods, left by who she assumed was the man. _Is this a sign for me to follow?_ She weighed the outcomes in her mind, this was suspicious, and _very_ out of the blue. She inspected the blueberry in her hand, it wasn’t poisoned, was it? Would he _really_ go through the trouble? Feeling a bit risky, she popped the blueberry in her mouth, almost mistaking the sour taste to be poison when it registered. _Well, it’s better than no food at all, She_ thought. Concluding that it was worth the risk, she followed the trail, savoring each blueberry as if it were her last. 

•~•~•~•

Jason waited patiently for the girl to discover the trail he left, would she even follow it? She’d be suspicious no doubt, but what were the chances that she’d actually follow it? Jason narrowed his eyes, rethinking his plan, was it even a good one from the start? 

After feeling rather guilty, he was resolute in making it up to the girl. Speaking of the girl, he didn’t even know her name, her mother never mentioned it. He tried guessing, Alexa, Britney, Michelle? Those don’t sound right, but it’s possible one of his guesses were right. 

He spent the next few days scouting out for trespassers, if he got lucky he could surprise her with food. During this time, he didn’t hear nor sense any other presence beside himself, _where was the girl?_ He was tempted to check, but also hesitant, not wanting to be perceived as a psychotic murderer. He decided to leave her alone for a bit longer, time might heal her mind. 

It wasn’t till a week passed that he grew increasingly worried, there were absolutely no signs of the girl even being at the camp, did she leave? Worse, could she have died? Jason began to think back to the cabin, _cabin. Cabin.. Food!_ Of course, how long could that much food last? He estimated it to last around four days if used wisely, on average three. It’s been a week! She’s been starving for three days, she must be famished! Panicking, Jason tried searching his cabin for anything edible. It was early afternoon, and if he took too long she might starve to death! How long can a human survive without food? He was not about to stand around and find out. 

Searching every nook and cranny of his cabin, he managed to find one can of alphabet spaghetti. _One can. That can barely pass as a meal!_ It wasn’t healthy at all, his mother always made sure he had at least three food groups in every meal he had. Let’s see, grains, meat, fruit... and other things. Heading out of the cabin, he was determined to find some fruits, did Camp Crystal Lake even have edible berries? He was about to find out. After a few hours, he gathered a handful of blueberries, the only thing he was sure was safe to eat. Was a handful enough? His hand was abnormally large, so he assumed it would be okay. Arranging the trail, he left a blueberry every three inches, ending it near the stump she seemed to like. 

So here he was, waiting, listening. It’s what he’s best at. Above him, the clouds shifted, his hope draining as each moment ticked by painfully slow. He was beginning to feel disappointed when the girl didn't seem like she was coming. He couldn’t be angry though, he did scare the girl and let her starve, it didn’t feel right to be angry. 

Jason was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice when he felt the prickling sensation of being stared at. Spinning his head around, he made eye-contact with light blue orbs. Though nothing about him physically changed, he was absolutely jubilant, she came after all! Although he was elated upon her arrival, he sensed heavy tension in the air, heavy enough to almost suffocate. 

He didn’t move, not certain on how to act, should he give her the spaghetti? But if he moved she might run off again, so he settled on letting her make the first move. They stood there for a long time, her blue eyes boring into his hazel ones, never breaking contact. She studied him, and he did the same, noting that her posture was one of unsure confidence. There were some dark spots under her eyes. 

He was still regarding her when she greeted him with a hello. Did he hear her correctly, he wondered? Confused, he tilts his head to the side, waiting for her next move. 

•~•~•~•

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol this chapter reminds me of Hansel and Gretel. Anyways this is the last chapter I'll post before I leave for my trip, so one week without updates. I guess this is kinda a cliff hanger huh? (Sorry not sorry) See you next chapter! /(`0`)/


	6. Manners

As she revealed herself from the bushes, her hunger subsided as her eyes held contact will the man. Its was a bit dark, and the black holes of the mask weren’t helpful in distinguishing the color of the man’s eyes. She wanted to run, in fact her body was so full of adrenaline that she thought she was going to explode right then and there. She wanted to turn tail and bolt and yet, she didn’t. She held her ground against the tall man that loomed over her, her eyes never leaving the pitch-black holes of the hockey mask marked with a red design. It felt like an eternity as they both just stood there, until finally, she managed to unclench her jaw and push out the word, “Hello.”

Lilian wasn’t sure if it was the hunger or her possibly deranged mind, but something made her introduce herself to the man standing before her. She wasn’t sure if she should continue after his head tilted towards one side, but decided it’d be rude not to finish. She supposed that maybe it’s because her mom always brought her to work along with her, she had to smile and introduce herself even if she didn’t like them. Mom said they were basic manners.

“M-My name is Lilian, but y-you can call me Lily. It's nice to meet you.” Lily tried to make her voice sound confident, she really did, but it still came out sounding like that one time in first grade where she wanted to curl up into a ball when she stumbled onstage. Thinking about it made her feel embarrassed, and she wished she’d been more aware of her footing. 

The man did not say anything, but subtly nodded, acknowledging her introduction. Her mind went blank after this, there wasn’t anything to say, and she didn’t want to accidentally offend him by saying something wrong, so she stayed silent, copying the man’s behavior. She wasn’t sure if she was relieved when he walked towards her. He raised his arms over his head as he stopped at the stump, placing a can of soup—no, spaghetti on it. She suddenly grew curious, was he the same person that gave her food on the first day? Did he have an ulterior motive?

“Were you the one that gave me the food on the first day?” Her voice was much more stable this time, as her unease steadily drifted away. The man didn’t respond, but nodded slowly after a short silence. _I guess I should thank him, but I’m don't really know at the same time._ Lily decided to just nod back, as the tension from earlier transitioned into awkwardness. She found her fingers fidgeting with her earlobe, tas she tried to think of something to break the silence.

“So, I’m going to leave now... have a nice day?” She mentally facepalmed herself. _it’s night, idiot! Now would be a great time to leave, right now._ Her movements were rigid as she started retreating back into the trees, wanting to dash back to the not that secure safety of her cabin. 

She was almost there when the man suddenly power walked towards her, each step loud and clear. _Oh golly what did I do?_ Her heart almost shot out of her chest when his hand shot out at her, her eyes widening to the size of an egg. She kept quivering all over until she realized what was in his hand, it was the spaghetti. _Oh right._ She can’t believe she forgot about that! Her memory was really deteriorating, was this going to be a long term problem? She didn’t really want to reach for the spaghetti, reason being that he could easily grab her arm, so she hastily snatched the can from him, before mumbling a “good night” and speed walking back to the cabin. 

Setting the canned spaghetti on the table, she noticed that it didn’t have those things that you pull to remove the lid. She glared at the can, annoyed her dinner was going to be delayed. Fishing out the pocket knife, she held it in place as she stabbed the top of it as hard as she can. It barely made a dent. You couldn't even call it a dent, it was just a scratch. So much for not starving tonight. She pondered her options, she could go outside and attempt to find the man, but it was dark, and who knows what comes out at night. Lily narrowed her eyes at nothing in particular, realizing that she had to wait till morning to find the man, or try to stab the can again. 

Clunk! Stabbing the knife into the lid once more, she gave up after she made a tiny dent, accepting that she was going to have to wait. But she can wait, she was always pretty patient. She went to bed much quicker than the past three days, dreaming about something she’d barely remember when she woke up. 

Not wanting to get up entirely, she laid on the bed, staring at the ceiling while trying to not drift back to sleep. Her stomach growled, and she knew it was time to open that stubborn spaghetti can. She retrieved her dried clothes that actually fit her and they smelled like cherry, just like how she wanted when she used the red soap bar. 

She set out to find the man, Mr …oh right, she didn’t know his name. Wait, yes she did! Let’s see, what did Chad say his name was again? _Pretty sure it was Jace, right? Jace Voorhees? Yeah, that sounds about right._

Still hungry, she ventured out into the parts of the forest that were still unknown. Rustling the fallen leaves beneath her feet, her eyes _almost_ didn’t catch the slight glint in the patches of orange. Her foot stopped mid-step and she bent down slowly, spotting a bear trap? She didn’t see any bears around here, did they come out during the night? 

She was glad she wasn’t daydreaming or anything, otherwise she might’ve stepped right into it, it looked like it would hurt. As she observed the sharp teeth on the trap, and idea stroke her, she could use the use the trap to open the can! _Yes! I’m smart!_

Lifting the can to where the teeth would clamp, she held it there, while using her free hand to find a stick, she _definitely_ wasn’t sticking her hand in there. Finding a thin sturdy branch, she readily jabbed the stick in the bear trap as it clamped the can with a Ching! Lily stared at the can, the sharp teeth sank into its sides, but it didn’t break, and only some juices were leaking out. It was at this point in time that she realized the flaw in her plan. How was she going to remove the can? 

•~•~•~•

Jason thought they would stand there forever, until he noticed the girl clench her jaw, was she going to say something? An insult, maybe? Out of all the things he expected, hello was definitely not one of them. Confusion struck him as he tilted his head to the side, expecting more. 

The girl then introduced herself as Lilian, but added that he could call her Lily. He liked lilies, they could be many different colors and always looked so vibrant, his favorite was the white one, it reminded him of innocence and purity, something he lost a very long time ago. Jason nodded as he couldn’t speak, not wanting to seem rude or unintentionally ignore her. He was ready to continue to stand there until he remembered why he’d led her here in the first place. 

Raising his hands above his head as to show he meant no harm, he slowly walked forward until he reached the tree stump, placing the can of spaghetti on it. His head turned once more as the girl asked if he was the one who placed the food on the same stump. Jason’s eyes darted around, would she think he was creepy if he nodded? He then slowly nodded, unsure how she would react next. 

“So, I’m going to leave now... have a nice day?” He didn’t mind the goodbye greeting, and almost let her slip back to her cabin until he noticed the spaghetti, still on the stump. _She forgot it!_ His eyebrows knitted in worry as he swiped the can from the stump before speed-walking towards the gi— no, Lily. His hand shot towards her on reflex, but he saw the fear in her eyes as she hesitated on reaching for the can. The can was roughly swiped out of his hand as she whispered a “goodnight” to him. Well, she for sure had manners, but he did as well. He would greet the kids at camp and introduce himself to them, but they’d either ignore him or turn away in disgust of his face. He didn’t blame her for being hesitant, not at all, but couldn’t help but feel weirdly gloomy the next morning. 

It was early afternoon when he decided to visit her, gathering another handful of small blueberries. He wasn’t sure if she liked them, but the trail was gone when he check it this morning, so she should like it, right? With every step he took, he worried, what if she didn’t like them and just ate them to be polite? Or if she didn’t like _him_ but liked the berries? The sound of an activated bear trap captured his attention, and without missing a beat, his pace became faster as his mind raced. A trespasser? No, no one would make it this far without stepping over a wire, and he was in the mines all day. Was it _her?_ All the clues were pointing towards that it was, but the possibility was still there, and he wasn’t about to make work harder for himself.

Walking even faster now, he kept it so that he was moving swiftly, but not making enough sound to alert the person that set off the trap. It was hard to concentrate, the girl could be bleeding right now, but he didn’t hear any sounds of distress. Though a lot of his victims didn’t scream either, he supposed they did that in order to not alert him to where they were. 

The trees in his field of vision made it a tad difficult to make out a person, but he could see the general outline that was far too short to belong to an adult. At this observation, his muscles relaxed, before tightening once more, she’s hurt! He ran towards the silhouette hurriedly, knowing she would most definitely hear him coming towards her. He was right, her head was turned in his direction, a flash of surprise covered her face, and he would’ve gotten closer if he didn’t see what the bear trap had caught. 

The can from last night was clamped tightly in the trap, the sharp teeth boring into the sides. She, on the other hand, was perfectly fine, just crouched next to the trap, with no traces of blood on her. Jason analyzed the scene, Lily had not eaten the can yet, did she think he poisoned it? It looked like the can was deliberately placed in the trap where it’d be caught, what was the purpose of that? He was trying to piece together the situation until he was greeted by her yet again with a “Hi”. 

Turning his attention away from the trap, he tried silently asking her what happened. Tilting his head and narrowing his eyes, wanting an explanation. She seemed to understand what he was implying, and her fingers found their way to the earlobe, tugging at it while she explained. Did she do that when she was nervous? He had habits too, like averting eye contact when embarrassed, but he’d never seen someone tug their earlobe like that, doesn’t it hurt? 

From what he understood, the girl was trying to open the can but failed, he should’ve thought of that! She was just a child, and the can didn’t even have something you can use to pull it open! Jason was rather disappointed with himself, this was the fourth day of no food for her. His lips formed a frown, and he would’ve huffed if he didn’t pick up on the intruding sounds heard from the distance.

•~•~•~•

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back! Hope you guys were ready for this chapter! A week without my phone was actually pretty cool. Anyways the next chapter will probably come in two or three days, see you next chapter! （＾ω＾）


	7. Spaghetti

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read the notes at the end!

Jason’s ears were much more attentive than the average human. His listening was sharply honed by years of experience. The shuffling of footsteps can be distinguished among the wind and blowing leaves. There were more than four people. 

She seemed to notice them too, and her eyes wandered towards the sound in uncertainty. They were even closer now, and he decided it’d be best if they left the area. Using his right hand, he freed the can as he felt her eyes on him. The contents were dripping out, and he curled his fingers towards himself two times, signaling for her to follow.

The crunching of the leaves were satisfying as they made their way to his cabin, with the wind blowing softly. His cabin was smaller than hers, and was far from clean, especially the bathroom where he kept his mother’s decapitated head. He entered first, and held the door wide open for her, as he had always done for his mother. 

On her way in, she murmured a “thank you” and it sparked a warm feeling in his chest. It’s been a _long_ time since anyone thanked him for anything. His memories since he’s been resurrected has been nothing but screams of terror and bloodshed. And before that… well, there was the girl he spared because she looked like his mother. She wasn’t completely identical, but there were enough similar features to make him keep her. He felt fury building up in him when she betrayed him, she used his mother’s locket against him! She tricked him, and-

“Are you okay?” 

Oh. How long has he been standing there? Hopefully _, that didn’t come off as rude._ The door fell back to its frame and he turned his body parallel to hers. Lifting his left arm up, he pointed to his room, wanting her to go there. 

She entered first, her blue eyes scanning the room. Looking around. She saw a teddy bear with its stuffing hanging out from the side of its head, an array of books lined with dust, and a bed with the name _Jason_ imprinted on it. So it was Jason! She was glad his name was on his bed, it would have been embarrassing to call him by the wrong name. 

She moved towards the bed to let him have space, but he trailed behind her and patted the bed, pointing to her. Did he want her to stay here? She was right in her assumption when he patted the bed once more. She climbed onto it easily, it wasn’t as tall as the one in her cabin, and she could’ve hopped on it if she wanted to.

It was weird, she didn’t flinch when he unsheathed his machete, her muscles barely tensed, and her heartbeat remained calm. She had a feeling that the weapon was not pulled out to use on her, as strange as it might sound. 

He was relieved, too, she didn’t show any signs of fear this time, and hope began flaring in his heart. He supposed it was easier for children to trust, due to their undeveloped brains, but though she looked like a child, she was more mature than her age, and has developed enough to tell what danger looks like. He has had encounters with children before, most didn’t fear him, and some would even stay instead of running. But he wasn’t fooled, if those children were to run into him as adults, they would surely run and scream as they died, children were rather... _unaware_ , of what’s considered dangerous and safe. 

She watched as he stabbed the top of the can, making an opening large enough to swallow the spaghetti. He formed a medium sized hole on the top of the can lid, large enough for the noodles to slide through. 

He handed it to her and she took it, savoring the smell before swallowing a mouthful of tomato sauce and noodles. She didn’t want to look up right now, it was a bit unsettling to be watched while eating. A while after staring at the can, he seemed satisfied and left through the door, glancing at her one last time before she heard the front door close with a click. 

She didn’t have any utensils to eat the spaghetti, so she drank it like she would with any other drink. A few noodles were left on the sides, but she didn’t want to risk cutting her tongue by slipping it inside the can through the sharp opening. She felt full for the first time in quite a while, she wasn’t sure how long she’s been here, more than a week at most. Falling onto the bed, her nostrils were attacked by dust on the bedding, _guess he doesn’t clean his bed._ Swatting the dust off the bedding, she fell onto the dusty soft mattress once more, her breathing slowing until her blinking stopped completely. 

•~•~•~• 

Jason headed towards the area where the people will likely be, machete ready in hand. He crept closely behind them, leaning that three of the four were going to swim at the lake. 

He observed the female that decided to stay behind, she read for a while as her friends played, she was reading a book tilted “Deadline”. After a while, she grabbed her bag and started to walk towards the left into the trees as he followed. 

He saw his chance when she walked into an area abundant with trees. She barely had a second to react before his machete collided with her skull, slicing her head wide open as blood and brain matter flew out. Some landed on his coat, but he didn’t care, it would later dry and blend into the countless dark patches in his coat. 

He left the body where it was, he’ll dispose of it later, after he takes care of the others. He found the two males spread out on the dock gazing at the sun while the girl was jet skiing on the lake. He didn’t want to waste time and energy by chasing them through the forest, he needed his trusty bow.

Entering through the front door of his cabin, he found her laid out on his bed soundly asleep. Jason noted that she snores a bit, soft little noises every so often. He was worried that she would wake up due to the cold, and lent her his jacket to stabilize her body heat. He slid her arms into the sleeves backwards to cover her torso and legs. The coat fit him perfectly, but was gigantic compared to her. 

He retrieved his bow and arrows and quickly jogged back to the lake after a few minutes. He positioned himself just behind the trees near the lake and viewed the jet ski. There was a male and female on it now, they were going around in circles in the lake. Jason aimed at the current driver of the jet ski, waiting till they were rounding the edge of the lake until releasing the arrow. 

The arrow shot directly into the driver’s head as his bow dead body slumped and fell off the jet ski. The female behind him noticed that something was wrong, but the jet ski crashed before she had time to steer it away. 

The male on the dock didn’t notice this, he was dozing off while Jason sliced the females throat, tossing the body into the lake. He walked to the sleeping male, and punctured him right in the heart before also throwing his body into the lake. 

He cleaned up the first girl’s body by throwing it into the tunnels, and seated himself in a tiny stool as he stared at Lilian’s face. She had dark brown hair and an average nose, her breathing was slow and her snoring continued. Jason stared for hours until it was time for the daily morning rounds again. 

  
•~•~•~•

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok guys I need help. I tried not using my normal writing so now I’m basically switching without the •~•~•~• and so tried to make it clear as possible when I switch. Please tell me if you prefer this chapters writing to my normal writing, it will help greatly and I’ll be able to improve. Thanks and see you in the next chapter! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡


	8. Up, Up, We Go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: There's finally fluff!

Lilian woke up to an unfamiliar room, Where was she? Oh-didn’t she fall asleep on Jason’s bed? Then where did he sleep? Feeling a weight on her arms, she looked down and found Jason’s coat on her backward. He didn’t clean it, there were dark patches and tears all over it. 

She jumped off the bed and looked outside, it was morning, some purple hues still lingering in the sky. She went into the kitchen and saw three duffle bags and a suitcase on the table. There was food, toiletries, and more clothing that were either inappropriate or too large for her. Looking around, she found an odd space in the floor, it looked like a trapdoor? The loud creak of the trapdoor made her feel like she shouldn’t be doing this, so she stopped. Curious but cautious, she stepped back, it looked like a secret passageway down there, it was dim with a few light sources. 

She was still wearing his coat when she heard the front door open. She sat on the bed and stared at the dusty books on the shelves. There were many fairy tale classics, “The Little Red Riding Hood”, “Hansel and Gretel”, and “Cinderella”. 

Footsteps stopped at the door and in he came, looking at her while she took him in. Without his coat, his muscles were more visible, from his chest plates to biceps, he looked like someone you wouldn’t want to mess with, if his height didn’t already help. Inspecting his muscles got her thinking he could lift her up pretty easily. 

She remembered having a parent-kid night at school where your mom or dad would lift you up so you can pick a toy. Her mom didn’t lift her up, she said that the toys weren’t that good anyway. Lilian didn’t agree, she really wanted the purple octopus, but she didn’t complain and went home empty-handed. She really wanted him to lift her up.

At this thought, he tilted his head to the side and stared at her. She had said it out loud accidentally, but he was happy to comply. Her face turned a light shade of pink, and she averted eye-contact while he strolled towards her. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be lifted now, but decided why not and held her arms to the side of her. 

He gently grasped her torso with both hands, well aware of how easily he can hurt her by accident. Holding her body parallel to his, he walked outside and lifted her up like an airplane. She became bubbly all of a sudden, she felt how careful he was being when he held her, and her fondness for him only grew as she felt taller than ever. 

Lilian felt such joy at that moment, her mom never showed her much affection, never initiated the first “I love you” or hug. Her lips curled into a smile that reached her eyes. 

“Can you spin me?” 

Jason wasn’t sure why she wanted to be lifted, but judging by her flinging legs and giggles, he assumed she was having a great time. Breaking into a run, he jogged past trees while holding

her and heard her gleeful bursts of “wee!”. They eventually ended up back at his cabin and she grew tired of all the fun and excitement. 

He set her on his bed as he tilted his head. This was the happiest he’d ever seen her. He was not tired from the jog, but it seemed all the laughing got her exhausted. 

“Thank you.”

Jason just nodded, it was the least he could do. They sat there for a while before she said,

“Can you talk?” 

He shook his head, not speaking wasn’t a problem at all, he never needed to talk to anyone, so it didn’t bother him. She offered to teach him a little “sign language” which is using your hands to communicate. He accepted, and she taught him basics like thank you, sorry, hello, yes, and no. 

She noted that he was a fast learner, it didn’t take long for him to remember all the signs in less than four tries. The air was calm now, it felt as if this was normal. She didn’t ask him, but she needed to know why he killed people. He kills people for fun, that’s what Chad told her. It was very possible, but it didn’t seem like him. She saw the fury in his eyes that day when Mathew used her as a shield. 

At that point in time, she thought the anger was directed towards her, but recalling it now, it's clear it wasn’t. Asking him wouldn’t make a difference anyways, he couldn’t talk. She glanced out the window, it was afternoon now, had that much time passed already? 

He had fun learning this “sign language”, it wasn’t hard and was pretty useful. He remembers his mother reading books to him, this is what it felt like right now. 

“Do you-”

She was cut off when her stomach declared that it was hungry, releasing a groggy sound. Did it have to be now!? Before she could apologize, he stood up and left the room. For a second she was going to follow, but decided not to. He was probably getting some food for her. She heard a soft shuffling, and before long, he returned. 

He handed her a banana and a blueberry muffin and watched as she took a bite of the banana. She ate half of the banana before stopping and handing it to him, asking if he wanted some. He signed no, and she asked why. He shrugged, he didn’t know himself, he just didn’t need to consume a lot after becoming a half-zombie. 

Lilian was still wearing his coat, it was tattered but warm nonetheless. She hopped off the bed, ready to go back to her cabin. She didn’t want to rob him of another night of sleep. 

“I’m leaving now.”

Handing the coat back to him, she made her way to the table to find the three duffle bags and suitcase still there. They looked heavy, and she wondered if he’ll carry them for her all the way back to the cabin. 

As if reading her mind, he grabbed the duffle bags in one hand with the suitcase in the other. He knew it was too heavy for her, and was going to help even if she didn’t ask. She opened the door for him as he made his way outside, it was mid-afternoon now. She walked beside him as they headed towards her cabin, not saying a word. 

The walk to the cabin was silent, only soft footfalls can be heard. The birds sang while squirrels chattered as leaves swayed on branches. Wordlessly, he set the items on the table when he arrived. 

“Goodnight, Jason.” 

He perked up at the sound of his name, it’s been a while since anyone called him by his name. He was glad she used it, it made him feel more... _human_ , in a way. Using his hand, he brought it to where his lips would be then lowered it,  _ thank you.  _ And as silent as ever, he left through the door. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is the fluff on a scale of 0-10? Hope it's good, more will be sprinkled out in later chapters! I decided to stick with the switching POV's through and between paragraphs. The next chapter will be in 2-3 days. Until then, see you next chapter! (=o=)


	9. Dustin

Only the sound of Lily’s footsteps could be heard within the howling wind and occasional rustles. It was getting colder and winter was inching its way towards the camp as animals begin to hibernate. She found a sketchbook in the polka-dotted duffle bag and was now walking through the woods to find a suitable model. She decided to wear the watch on her wrist, it was more accessible that way. Looking down at the clock, the hands told her it was currently eight-fifty three in the morning. 

It’s been a few days since she last saw Jason, he carried the duffle bags and suitcases without breaking a sweat, it was pretty amazing. A tree branch caught her eye as she sat near her stump, and she flipped open the sketchbook and began to draw. She was no artist she couldn’t draw even if her life depended on it. Focusing on the shadows and texture of the branch, she drew and erased over and over again, getting a bit closer each time. 

She kept getting stuck on one side of a leaf, it just looks… _off_. She didn’t know what was wrong, but she knew by looking at it that it was inaccurate. 

“The perspective’s not right.” 

Lilian’s body jolted as her eyes darted around, landing on a man that also held a sketchbook with a blue cover. She observed the man closely, what did he want? Why was he here? She remained silent and only started at the man as he made a move. He strode closer to her and seated himself next to her.

“Can I help?”

Oh right, he did say her perspective was wrong, didn’t he? She nodded slowly, handing him the sketchbook and pencil. The man introduced himself as Dustin, and so she did the same, introducing herself as Lily. 

“Like a lily pad.” 

She agreed, some of her friends used that as a nickname for her. Though she never really minded, she did like it better than Lillipop and Tiger Lily. The man named Dustin complimented her drawing, saying it was pretty decent for a young girl like her. He flipped over to another page and started sketching. She watched as his hand danced across the page, smooth and bold, each stroke with a purpose, if only she could do that. 

Dustin was fifty-seven, he didn’t look that old, but she could see it in him. He asked her what she liked to do, how old she was, and she answered honestly. She liked exploring, drawing, climbing trees, and she was eight-years-old. She found out that Dustin loved brownies and lemon bars, he had a bit of a sweet tooth. 

“So what are you doing here?”

She knew this question was going to come up sooner or later but didn’t want to tell him the truth, he didn’t need to know. 

“I live here”

Dustin raised a brow at that, his hand stopped moving, and Lilian knew he’d caught her in a lie. She expected his expression to darken, for him to raise his tone and speak in a stern voice, but he didn’t. Mom has always done that even when she was telling the truth. His expression remained one of playfulnesses and calm, and he said, 

“This camp has been closed for quite a while, you know?” 

Oh. She didn’t know that, Jason lived here didn’t- wait, he’s a serial killer, right. She didn’t say anything, just waited for him to continue, what was he going to do?

“I saw you and him in the woods.” 

Her throat tightened at that moment, he did? What was he going to do? Call the police? Take her away? No, he would’ve done so already if he was planning to unless he wanted something from her? He hasn’t threatened her yet, but she chose to keep her guard up. 

“Relax, Lilian.”

His hand began moving again, making calculated lines into the paper, shading the leaf. He went on to explain how he knew there was a killer in the woods, people would always go “missing” around here and never come back. He told her how he noticed that the killer would always spare the children, but would usually chase them out. He assured her he wouldn’t call the police, he’d seen him come back to life before, police won’t do any harm to him. He said that he was the killer’s neighbor, has been so for two decades, and would only carefully tread here to view the beautiful landscape. 

“Looks like I’m done.” 

Adding a few final touches, Dustin signed the sketch and handed it to her. She observed the branch he drew, it looked exactly like it, just a black and white version. 

“You’re very good at drawing Mr. Miller.”

“You too, Lily, and Dustin is fine.”

“Okay then, Dustin.”

He smiled warmly, wrinkles formed on his forehead, as his dimples became noticeable. Dustin asked what time it was, and her watch said eleven o’ eight. 

“Time flies, doesn't it? Can you meet me here tomorrow at twelve, Lily? I’d like to teach you about drawing.”

She nodded profusely, she had always wanted lessons, but she was too afraid to ask her mom. The last time she asked for dance lessons, her mom yelled “Do you think I can afford that! You already have enough, be grateful!”. She likes to think it was an accident that her mom yelled at her, but deep down, she knows it was not the first nor last time she was yelled at. 

Dustin waved goodbye and slowly disappeared through the trees, his greying hair fading out of view. She held the sketch to her chest and examined the drawing once more, the leaves were accurate and he captured even the smallest detail of the branch, from the tiny patterns to the bumps that grew within it. 

  
•~•~•~•

  
  


Lilian wanted to show Jason Dustin’s sketch but didn’t think it was a good idea considering that he was a serial killer. She thought about giving him her sketch as a present but was unsure, she wasn’t great at drawing, what if he didn’t like it? She wanted to be good at it, that way, he’ll like it and she can be proud of it! 

Speaking of gifts, she decided to thank him for carrying the luggage, so she decided to make a flower crown. She used some dandelions and wildflowers that grew near the lake and tied their stems together, making a string of colorful flowers. The flower crown looked like something a fairy would wear, and she was tempted to keep it for herself. He’ll love this! 

Stepping into his cabin, she failed to notice the figure lurking in the hallway, staring at her. He was sowing his teddy bear’s head back onto its body when he heard a click from the front door. His body tensed as he carefully looked out into the hallway, machete in hand. His grip loosened when he saw who he initially thought the intruder was only Lily. She had a flower crown in her hand and was writing a note to put on the table. 

She noticed the familiar feeling of being stared at, and her head turned involuntarily, making eye-contact with him. She was shocked for a moment before she regained her composure and greeted him. 

“This flower crown is for you, can you try it on?”

He had seen flower crowns before, many girls at his camp made it and put it on each other as a symbol of friendship. Does this mean she wants to be friends? Jason was excited now, he’s never had a real friend besides his mother or teddy bear. Hurriedly, she walked over to the flower crown, but before he could take it, a small hand caught his own. 

“I’m supposed to put it on you!”

Right, now that he thinks about it, the girls did put them on each other while giggling and laughing as he watched from afar. He could easily have swatted her hand away and took the flower crown anyways, but decided against it. He saw some serious friendship rituals at camp, one of them included kissing the forehead for some reason. 

She took the flower crown and was looking at him, saying

“Can you bend down? I can’t reach your head.”

And so he did. He bent down and even with him bending down, she still had to tiptoe to place the flower crown on his head. She smiled and he did as well, not sure if she could see it. She did see it, she may have not seen his lips, but she saw his eyes flood with joy. 

That was also when she noticed that she didn’t have a flower crown. She suggested going on a walk to make another flower crown and he agreed, so they started picking flowers near the lake.

She told him that it was better if the stems were longer, that would make it easier. He picked some poppies and dandelions and she sat down and began to weave them together. He watched as her little fingers knotted the stems together and pulled on them. She asked if he wanted to try, he knew his fingers were too large, so he just covered her hand with his.

“Big hands?”

_ Yes _ , he signed. She understood. When she first started, the stems seemed to slip out of her grasp, but now, it was as easy as talking, it was natural. Weaving the final dandelion into place, she placed it on her head and looked up at him. 

"Now we're matching!"

She smiled at him, and the same warm feeling reappeared in his chest again, making him elated. She checked the time on the watch, twelve-twenty-three, past lunch time! She told him that she was going to eat, and asked if it was okay for her to visit tomorrow as well. He nodded and waved as she got up and trotted back to her cabin. 

  
•~•~•~•

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty so this chapter was tons of fun for me so I hope it was for you too! Tell me what you think of the new character Dustin! Next chapter will come in 2-3 days. Until then, see you next chapter!


	10. Ring

The day flew by quickly, lunch, dinner, and then morning again. She barely caught any sleep, she was beyond excited for her lessons with Dustin. She tried to dress up, but the gigantic clothes wouldn’t fit her. She didn’t like make-up either, she barely knew how to use it, so she wore the ring that she found in her pocket. It was simple, but she felt more confident this way. Her teacher told her that she shouldn’t wear a ring in her fourth finger, or the ring finger until she’s married. She wondered why it was called the “ring finger” if you couldn’t wear it until she’s married. 

Nearing the stump, she saw Dustin already seated at the leaves on the ground drawing an acorn at the trunk of a tree. She came closer and greeted him, in which he said,

“Good afternoon, come here, what do you want to draw?”

She said she wanted to draw the leaves this time. Dustin taught her important things like, shape, texture, and perspective. He placed his hand on hers and guided it, leaving highlights in certain areas and shading the shadows of the leaves. 

Lily looked at her drawing with awe, she never thought she’d be able to draw something this good, granted Dustin did help her, but she did most of the hard work. She continued to shade in the leaf, as Dustin observed the ring on her index finger. He knew he’d seen it somewhere, he’d seen it before. It looked so…  _ familiar _ , it has to be his- 

“Is something wrong?”

She noticed his staring intently at her ring, confusion painted across his face. Did he not like it? 

“No, it’s just very…  _ beautiful _ , where did you get it?” 

She was glad he said that, she liked the little white jewels placed the ring, it reminded her of stars. More importantly, how  _ did  _ she get it? 

“I found it in my pocket.” 

Dustin knew it was not a lie, her voice was stable and her body language did not contradict her answer. 

“Do you know who put it there?” 

She had a good guess as to who put it there, it was her mother, there’s no one else who would have placed it there. But she wasn’t going to tell him about mom, that would bring up more questions she wouldn’t like to answer. 

“No.” 

She kept her voice calm, her expression neutral. It worked to her surprise, she was relieved her voice didn’t fail her. Dustin looked uncertain for a moment, before continuing to sketch the acorns and looking deep in thought. 

Dustin knew where he’d seen it now, it was Ashley, his daughter’s ring. He knew she divorced his husband and left with her two children, but how did the ring end up in Lily’s possession? He tried to think, what if Ashley gave it to a friend? Ashley’s friends, he couldn’t remember. His memory got worse every year, and he tried to block any memory of his daughter after their dispute. He needs to relax. his hand pressed deeper into the paper, ruining the drawing all together, he  _ needs  _ to calm down. 

“I’m tired, Lily, can we continue tomorrow?”

She nodded, her hand was getting quite sore, it’s been two and hours and forty-two minutes since she started on the leaves. It wasn’t finished yet, but a bit longer and it’ll be done. She watched as he closed his sketchbook and stood up, his eyes unfocused. 

“Goodbye, Dustin”

He didn’t say anything, just an unsure nod, and then he started towards the opposite direction.  _ Strange _ , she thought, as she headed back to her cabin. 

It was when she was eating dinner that she thought about his behavior.  _ Was he lying? Well, the look in his eyes were sincere when he said it was beautiful. He seemed agitated, did she ask too many questions? He didn’t make much eye-contact after noticing the ring, did he not like it after all?  _

Dustin’s behavior confused her, she tried passing it off but something told her she was involved, it was weird, like a gut feeling or something. She ignored it, she was probably just overthinking it, the last two weeks have been…  _ interesting  _ after all. 

•~•~•~• 

Jason was getting a bit worried when she didn’t arrive around early evening,  _ did she not want to come? No, he just had to be patient.  _ And he was right, she came after he worried for a while. She led him to the lake again and weaved more flower crowns, giving him a dandelion one, while she wore one that had lilies. 

“Haha, lilies on Lily, funny right?” 

He didn’t understand what was considered funny but nodded anyway. 

“Now you have to try.”

She handed him two dandelions, their stems were pretty durable, so he should be able to do it. He signed no and blocked the flowers with his hand, pushing it back to her. He couldn’t make them even if he tried!

“At least try. Please?” 

She pouted, this usually worked on adults, but her mom was oddly immune to it. It worked on Jason, she heard a soft sigh as he gave in and took the two dandelions into his hand. 

“Like this, you put the stem here, and then through here.” 

He followed her directions, and it knotted perfectly,  _ it knotted! _

“That’s better than when I first tried it.” 

The heat inside him grew, ever since he started spending more time with her, he felt more  _ alive _ . Like how she always made him feel better. He looks at her again,  _ lilies on Lily, that does sound sort of funny.  _ The lilies on her head made her even more lively, she was cute, and even without the flower crown was no doubt be considered adorable. 

He waved in her face, catching her attention, then pointed to the flower crown and motioned a thumbs-up. Hoping she’d get the message. 

“Pretty?”

_ Close enough _ . She was also pretty, prettier than all the girls that were disgusted at the sight of him. His mother always said it’s the inside that counts, but some people are lucky and get both good insides and outsides, she told him that he was special, and that he should ignore the other kids. 

This made her think of teaching him more sign language. It seemed like Jason would like to learn too, and why not, it won’t do any harm. She opened her palm, thumb facing her chin, and rolled her fingers. 

“That means pretty.”

He nodded, and copied her movement several times, glancing at her to make sure he was doing it correctly.

She taught him a variety of useful words including: can’t, can, again, always, friend, happy, how, maybe, and the list goes on. 

It was dark by the time she finished correcting him, he got a few mixed up, but she could see the determination in his eyes. At some point she yawned out of fatigue, her eyes becoming cloudy. 

He tilted his head and imitated sleeping, then pointed to her. She nodded and stood up tiredly, it was ten o’ two now. 

“Goodnight.” 

She expected him to let her be on her way, but he rushed to and walked beside her. She didn’t mind, it was better than no company, his presence was comforting in a way. 

As they neared the cabin, he stopped and watched as she stepped into the cabin, she glanced back at him and waved with a tired smile before shutting the door. 

  
•~•~•~•

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooooh? A ring? The plot thickens! Because I reached chapter ten, I’ll need more time to plan out and write the next chapters from now on, so chapters will come out weekly, sorry! Until then, see you next chapter! (*´∀`)♪


	11. Reason

* * *

“You wear very _interesting_ clothes, Lily.”

She knew this topic would be discussed sooner or later. She actually hoped it would come sooner, who knows, maybe Dustin has some clothes to lend her. 

“I don’t have any suitable ones.”

She was keen on getting more comfortable clothes, washing them have proven to be tedious and boring, not to mention putting her hands in freezing water. She didn’t want to sound too eager, she waited for him to talk again. 

“I might have some of my daughter’s clothes, I’ll see if I can give you any, okay?” 

“Thank you!”

_Jackpot!_ She fought to contain the excitement in her voice, but he saw the appreciation in her eyes. He did have some clothes from Ashley’s teenage years that she considered “childish” or too “emo” as she calls it. He hopes Lily wouldn’t mind their “emoness” or whatever. 

“That part isn’t dark enough.” 

He pointed his finger on the shadow of the clumps of leaves. 

“What if it gets too dark? Then it will be hard to fix.”

“That’s the fun, sometimes you just have to risk it to see the results. And when you see the results, you’ll learn from them, like learning from mistakes.” 

She partly understood him. She wasn’t a very risky person, she would rather take hours of calculation than to risk it fifty fifty. She doesn’t like to be rash and usually thinks quite logically. Now that she thinks about it, if she had been calm, she would’ve noticed Jason’s posture and body language the first time they met. He didn’t want to hurt her, but he also wasn’t the best at showing it. 

“Can you show me?”

“You’ll never get the hang of it if you don’t do it yourself.”

“Just one time, please Dustin?”

He let out a heavy sigh, and she knew she had won this round. Just this once she’ll observe his wrinkled hand gripping the pencil and guiding it along with the paper. Her eyes tracked his hand carefully, watching how much pressure he put into it, how it was affecting the paper. 

“See? It balances it out, dark and light help each other. If I make this place darker, it’ll bring out the light, making it shine brighter.”

_That makes sense._ Her sketch does seem to be more vibrant now, despite there being only black and white, and grey she supposed. If this is true, does that mean this works for heroes and villains too? Will a hero appear more heroic when a villain is present? 

Her thoughts dispersed when she shuffled through their conversation. _Who’s his daughter? Must be a nice girl, maybe they can be friends?!_

“Who’s your daughter?”

Dustin looked up, it wasn’t a topic he wanted to discuss, but he had to let it out sooner or later. Besides, it _was_ his mistake to mention his daughter.

“Her name is Ashley, she was forty-seven, was a... _good_ person.”

Well, there goes the hope of being friends with someone her age. She heard a pinch of uncertainty when he said “good” was she a bad person? Her past experiences have taught her to make assumptions with _her_ eyes, not take someone else’s word. If she wanted to find out, she’d have to meet her. 

“Can I meet her?” 

His throat tightened as his hand curled into a fist. His daughter left after their dispute and left him feeling rather bitter. However, that doesn’t mean he didn’t still care for her. And when she caught that… _illness_ , he was devastated. But no matter how hard he tried, she wouldn’t let him visit her, wouldn’t even let him pay for her medications. 

“She… was a stubborn person, never liked to be wrong. She had this… illness and her daughter took care of her. She, she’s passed away now.”

_Oh_. That wasn’t what she expected, it must’ve been hard for him. She saw how his fists shook with every pause, there must be something she can say to lift his spirits. 

“She must’ve been a kind person if she was your daughter. I bet her daughter was also kind, taking care of her mother.”

His granddaughter, yes. She talked to him even though her mother forbade it. They had a very unique relationship, she was kind, that was true, but ever since that _incident_ … she just became very so… _distant_ . He felt ashamed, instead of letting his family know what's going on and how he feels, he tells it to this little girl. _Maybe it was because she was little?_ No, then what?

“Yes, they both were. Thank you, Lily… for listening to me, it’s been a while since… ah, _things_.”

_Things?_ She felt inclined to ask, but Dustin expected this, looking at her with pleading eyes, silently asking _please don't._ So she didn’t, instead she asked about his granddaughter. 

”How is your granddaughter?”

”Grandchildren actually. A boy and a girl.” 

”How old are they?” 

“The girl is twenty-nine, and the boy is thirty-two.”

“What-“

Her question was cut off by a scream. She wasn’t sure how close it was, but it didn’t seem too far away. Dustin looked alarmed and quickly stood up. She only nodded and put her pointer finger to her lips as he left. She could hear the approaching footsteps and hurriedly collected her sketchbook, ducking behind a tree. 

:-:-:-:-:

He just finished dumping the bodies in the lake before he heard a noticeable gasp. He looked around and a man made direct eye-contact with him. Not a moment later, he dashed in the other direction and he gave chase. 

If he was trying to throw him off and hide somewhere then he was awful at it. His breathing was heavy and his panicked stomping could awaken a dead man. Jason bet he could kill him even if he was blind! Thankfully, the man fumbled and tripped over his own feet, giving him a perfect opportunity to puncture his heart, killing him. 

His muscles were going to relax until his ears detected breathing. His eyes darted to a tree not too far away, _a friend of his?_ It didn’t matter, they were going to die soon anyway. He was annoyed from running, so he stalked towards the tree slowly, readily raising his machete to strike. He swiftly lunged behind the tree to where his next victim would be and swung the machete sharply into their skull. Or that’s what he would have done if he hadn’t seen their face. His machete stopped midway into the strike, his muscles tense as he locked his arm. It was Lily, and she looked frightened. 

She blocked out any noise after she ducked behind that tree. The flashbacks of when Jason stabbed Chad was trickling back into her mind, reminding her of what he could do. She knew from the very beginning, but she still chose to trust him. _Someday he’ll kill you,_ a voice stated, placing the doubt in her mind. _No, he’s had plenty of opportunities now, she wasn’t even an adult, she could barely fight back._ She fought hard against her thoughts, winning with a voice last saying, _someday._

She was brought back into reality when her eyes caught a glint in her direction, it was a weapon. _What!?_ She glanced at the person wielding the weapon, it was Jason. _Why was he pointing a weapon at her!?_ Calling her scared would be an understatement, she clenched her teeth as her finger found its way to her earlobe. She then remembered how she should act. She took a few deep breaths and observed his rigid shoulder, he clearly stopped himself from stabbing her, thank god. He must’ve mistaken her for someone else, someone he was supposed to… murder.

“...Hi, Jason.”

His still shoulder relaxed, He was very anxious about the situation they were in, how could he have been so careless? _At least she didn’t crumble to the ground or run away again_ , he thought. He lowered his machete and she stepped away from the tree. Turning around and spotting the body.

She squeezed her earlobe hard, looking at the corpse. The man was stabbed once, likely through the heart and his face was filled with horror, his mouth still wide open. Jason threw the body over his shoulder and began walking off quickly, he didn’t want her to see too much murder. He’s sure it doesn’t have a good effect on children. 

He found her sitting at the lake skipping rocks again, she was getting to the point where the rock would bounce at least three times. He seated himself next to her but with more distance, worried what happened before is still fresh in her mind. The silence lasted until he tapped her on the shoulder, signing _sorry_ multiple times. Her eyebrows knitted together and her finger continued fidgeting with her earlobe before she took a deep breath and asked, 

“Why do you kill people?”

There were endless reasons that he knew of, trespassing, disrespect, bad intention, the list goes on. He would tell her, but he couldn’t speak. It would take forever to tell her even three important reasons, so he decided to just do one. Patting the grass beneath him, he opened his hand and signaled to the space around them, then brought his hand back to his chest. 

“This place... is yours?”

_Yes,_ he signed. He used two fingers and imitated walking, moving his fingers back and forth. He “walked” on his palm and then signed _bad._ She thinks she understood now, people went on his land and that's why he kills them. 

“Trespassing?” 

He nodded.

“Okay.”

She wasn’t sure how she feels about this. Sure, trespassing is bad, but is it bad enough that you will die if you do it? He could almost sense her thoughts, she was obviously think that’s a bad reason! But he couldn’t think of ways to explain how he saw his mother beheaded, it was close to impossible that she’d figure it out on her own. _Sorry,_ he signed again. 

“At least you don’t kill people for fun.” 

His head immediately turned towards her, _did she really think that’s why he killed people?!_ She already predicted this question. So without missing a beat, she replied,

“I heard from Chad. The… er, old man you stabbed?”

_Oh yes, he does remember stabbing an old man. That makes sense._ He was used to people spinning stories at this point, although there were a few absurd ones like he ate people or raped them. The mere thought made him shudder in disgust. _Wait, that’s it!_ He could use one of the campers to tell her his story! Most of them got it right, with their own little twist here and there. 

He spotted Lily’s drawing book. _That’ll work._ He pointed at her sketchpad and tilted his head, asking for permission. She handed it to him along with a pencil and waited patiently for him to finish. He lowered the paper and she saw many stick figures, one that looked like her. He pointed to her, then the stick figure that represented her, tilting his head as if asking “do you understand?”. 

“That’s me?” 

A nod. He then pointed to a stick figure with a backpack and a hat and looked at her, questioning if she knew who it was.

“A… a camper?”

Another nod. He then continued drawing speech bubbles with scribbles in them, indicating that stick Lily was talking with the camper. Then, he drew an arrow to a hockey mask stick figure seemingly killing someone. He proceeded to look at her to see if she understood.

“Okay. So… I talk to campers. And… they tell me… things? ...okay… they tell me… about you? Wait, they tell me why you kill people?” 

Three nods. _It worked!_ He hoped that wasn’t too hard to understand, but it didn’t take _that long. Okay, so trespassing isn’t the only reason._ She hoped there were more or better reasons that justified murder. Well, she didn’t really think there _was_ such a thing as justified murder, but she didn’t think Jason was a bad person. Aside from killing who knows how many people. 

“So… let’s make some flower crowns!”

She picked a few dandelions and handed it to him, showing him how to make different patterns with the stems. He was getting better, he could make knots quicker now, but sometimes they’d come loose and he'd be disappointed. 

While weaving a daisy chain, she noticed that not many campers were coming a lot. She guessed it was the weather, the chilly wind didn’t help the already cold camp. _Well maybe there’ll be campers soon, then-_ Her attention shifted when he nudged her shoulder, showing her his daisy chain. 

Her lips formed a soft smile as she silently signed _good_. It was going to be a long day. 

  
•~•~•~•

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was a close one, did you guys think I’d actually hurt or kill Lily? Nope, she has something called main character privileges... for now. Does that count as foreshadowing? By the way, I got a beta-reader! Their username is MomoMochi, check them out! Until then, see you next chapter! ( ✌︎'ω')✌︎


	12. Bad Memories

She arrived early today, sitting on a patch of brown leaves while waiting for him to arrive. The bag of clothes landed on the leaves with a thump as she went up to it. She opened it and wansted no time in reviewing the clothes. 

“Do you like it?”

“Uh-huh, I really like this white one!”

He hummed in delight as she kept digging through the bag of clothes, feeling the fabric and smelling them. 

“These seem pretty old.”

“It’s been a few decades.”

“Makes sense.” She shrugged “look at this one!”

She held up a striped shirt with a sunflower in the middle, asking what he thought of it. He didn’t really care for clothes, his wife always bought clothes for their children, he’d just sit there and look at them. 

“Looks great.”

The afternoon slowly passed as she looked through all the clothes and showed him. She was still searching through them when it was two o’ clock. However, her eyes stayed on a certain piece of clothing, specifically a hat. It was black with white polka dots all over it. She almost thought it was hers at first. Her mom bought the same one for her when she was six, she begged for it until her mom finally gave up and bought it. She remembers feeling defeated when she lost it at school and couldn’t find it. 

“Lily?”

“Huh? Yes?”

“You looked like you were thinking pretty hard.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Do you like the hat?”

“I had one exactly like this before, mom got it for me.”

She realized her mistake seconds after it came out of her mouth. 

“Where’s your mom?”

She regrets saying that now. How careless! She wanted to smack herself in the forehead, but before she could even do that mentally, Dustin locked eyes with her. Now she felt pressured to answer. She could already feel her finger fidgeting with her earlobe, it’s been happening a lot recently. She throat tightened and she began to sweat.

“...She’s not here.”

Dustin saw how timid she looked, she didn’t like this topic, but he needed to know, his granddaughter was searching for the ring. She couldn’t believe that her mother would pass it onto a friend instead of her. 

“Lily.” He continued, “Can you tell me what happened? Please,”

The guilt sunk deeper into him the sadder she looked. She looked in pain, her hands clenched into fists as she broke eye-contact. A pregnant silence stretched into the air until she softly whispered,

“She left me. ...She told me to stay here, so I did. And then she didn’t come back. I don’t know what I did. I loved her… an-but she still left me.”

He could see small droplets of tears now, sliding down her cheeks slowly as it reflected the sunlight. He still needed to know who her mother was, he needed to find out! If he left it here, it’d be even harder to bring it up in the future. 

“Can you- no, what did your mom look like?” 

More tears appeared and started building up and dripping onto her green shirt, turning it a shade darker. Her sniffles became louder as the tears endlessly slid down her face. Her voice became distorted and hard to understand.

“I’m sorry… I don…’t want to… talk.” She cried “Please stop!”

She was a crying mess now, though she tried containing it in and making as little noise as possible. His stomach was churning now, the guilt was agonizing as he felt a sharp pain in his chest. This is to fix my granddaughter and my relationship, he reasoned. But he knew this reason could not justify his actions. 

“I’m sorry Lily. Really… here, just let me…”

“No!”

She stepped back from him, her watery eyes blurred her vision. She knew what he was trying to do, he tried to hug her. She knew exactly what he was trying to do. He was trying to side with her again after he hurt her, she knew it all too well. Her mother would hit her, then buy her food or something nice to make her “forget”. It always worked, until it went too far. She remembers her ears ringing and her head throbbing with pain, she never forgot that day. 

“I’m fine.”

“Lily you-“

“I’m sorry! I’m fine! I think- I mean, I- I said I’m okay!”

He knew he had crossed a line. Hell, he was in the middle of crossing the damn line when he asked her the first question. He was waiting for a slip-up, he knew it’d come sooner or later. He liked her, was fond of her, but he needed information. Was he using her? No, that’s not true. He’d never do that, right? Can he fix this? Maybe, time is powerful, scars heal with time, but will it really? 

He looked at her, her body language stated that she does not want him touching her, him talking would provoke her as well. So he did the only thing he could to make it better, he turned around and started walking away. He took heavy steps so she’ll know he’s leaving, he didn’t linger and eventually saw the boundary of Camp Crystal Lake and his old farm. 

She watched him go quickly, eyes never leaving his chestnut-colored hair that slowly changed into a brown blob. Her tears slowly dried as she collected the new clothes and sketchbook, her mind still in chaos. 

Why would he do that? She didn’t know, in a mix of what just happened, emotion overthrew logic. She didn’t pay attention to what he asked, his body language, what she was saying. She only knows she let it out on Dustin. Did he really deserve that? This question wouldn’t disappear even after she ate a snack at the kitchen table. 

A part of her says he deserved it, he was the one that pushed her after all. Another says he didn’t, the reason being that he didn’t know better, and was just trying to make small talk. She didn’t know which to believe. Dustin was a nice person, right? But is he really? What if he was going to leave her too!? She didn’t want to be abandoned again, she really didn’t, her emotions were conflicted to the point where she doesn’t know what to do. So she does the only thing she knows will pass the time and calm her down, crying. The first few drops rolled down quite easily, and then the others followed swiftly, as she silently sobbed into her already damp shirt. 

She didn’t know how long she cried for, it was two-eleven when she checked the time. She dug through the items in the duffle bags, searching for a distraction. She found a calendar that had cats on it and flipped through the pages. When did she arrive again? It was the end of July… the thirtieth day of July. What day is it today? How long has she been here? She knows she’s been here for at least two or three weeks, she lost count after the first week. She was going to have to ask Dustin, but the mere thought of him was almost enough to bring her to tears. She didn’t want to think about that now. 

Checking the time, she quickly walked out of her cabin as it passed four-thirty three. Her earlier state of bedlam has calmed, but it left her feeling gloomy and somewhat angry. Crying always helped, but her throat hurt afterwards. She laid against a tree near the lake, staring at a random spot in the forest. She didn’t even realize she was crying again until she touched her wet cheeks. She didn’t know why she was crying again, but it felt good. It was relieving somehow, her shoulders feel lighter than normal, and so she kept crying. And crying until she saw the familiar hockey mask appear. 

Jason didn’t know what was wrong, all he knew was that his legs moved towards the sobbing noise before his brain fully registered it. He found her sitting with her knees hugged to her chest and her cheeks stained with tears. He didn’t know what to do, he’s never comforted someone else. He crouched down in front of her and tilted his head, as if asking are you okay? This agitated her somehow, and she started sobbing harder, a few hiccups here and there. He frowned and looked towards the ground, what can he do?! He stood up to collect some flowers, that’ll help. However, she misinterpreted this as him leaving her here. 

“Wait! Please-...don’t leave me. I-I’ll stop cry...ing.” 

Her stomach kept a tingling feeling, she wanted comfort, yet a part of her was afraid. Of what, she didn’t know. He bent down again and patted her head, signing wait. This was really familiar, too familiar. She didn’t want to wait, she didn’t want to be patient, not this time. 

“Please… please don’t…” 

He didn’t say anything, and for a moment she thought he was leaving no matter what, but then she felt large arms wrap around her torso. He wasn’t exactly warm, but it was comforting nevertheless. Her small frame was buried in his chest as she hugged back. He maneuvered his arms slowly, shifting her body weight onto his shoulder. She wasn’t heavy at all, she weighed as much as a small bale of hay. 

She didn’t complain at all, though she will admit that it felt uncomfortable hoisted on his shoulder like that. She could feel his arm keep her body there as he walked, little bumps of up and down. She wasn’t sure where they were headed to, but the ache in her throat kept her quiet throughout the whole trip.

He set her down carefully, making sure she found her balance before removing his arms. He picked a few lilies as she looked around the flower patch. She could see many lilies, mostly white ones mixed in with pink and yellow. The lilies were in late bloom, some already turning over. She noticed that they were in a new part of the forest, she could see vast amounts of tree covering the entire area.

As she looked around and surveyed the lilies, he weaved a lily flower crown and placed walked back to her. She felt a weight on her head and touched it, feeling the firm petals of the lilies. The stems were tight but sloppily secured, he must’ve done it in a hurry. 

“Have you been practicing?”

Yes, he signs. He points at her and then to the lilies around them, laughing at her. At first she didn’t know what he was doing, it sounded like he was grunting spontaneously and had a bad sore throat. Then she saw his lips through the mask, was he laughing?

“Is this about the lily with lilies thing I said?”

He nodded while still mildly chuckling. So he was laughing. She plucked some small lilies and weaved them into a flower crown, the blend of colors reminded her of the sunset. He sat down as she placed it on his head, the flowers tickled his bare skin and he felt… cute? Were boys supposed to look cute? All the boys at his camp were trying to look masculine and acted like jerks. He might’ve cared then, but not anymore, his mom always told him to be himself after all. Lily looked melancholy, her cheeks were laced with a shiny slickness as an aftermath of the tears. 

Why you crying? He signed as he looked at her with questioning eyes. She breathed out, and looked over the lilies, debating on whether or not to tell him.

“... It’s my mom. I think she left me here. I think-I want her to come back.” 

She knew it was just wishful thinking, but a part of her wanted to believe she’ll come back. She was frustrated, but felt more betrayed than anything. After crying so much, she felt calm and composed, the distressing feeling in her stomach steadily leaving her.

“She has dark brown hair like me, and she made me cupcakes for my birthday.” 

She thought about her dream three layer chocolate cake, she probably wouldn’t be able to finish it anyway. She stopped thinking about those memories halfway, it was planting a somber feeling in her throat, contracting it and making it hard to swallow. 

“What about your mom?”

There was nothing anyone can say that would make him doubt his mother, her wish was his command. He could find nothing wrong in what she did, all those people she killed, it was for him. He tried using what little sign language he knew and constructed a few phrases. He knew some of them were grammatically incorrect. 

From Jason’s description of his mom, she was a very nice person who was caring and was similar to him. She wanted to meet her, but guessed that she was already passed away, due to her not seeing any signs of her. 

“Where are we?”

He shrugged, he just knew where places were, he’s been living here for who knows how long now. 

“Do you know the way back?” 

She was relieved when he nodded, she had no clue how big this forest is, and didn’t want to wander aimlessly thought it anytime soon. She laid down in the flower patch, brushing her fingertips against the soft petals, taking in the sweet smell. She and Jason laid there for what seemed like hours, until she told him she wanted to go home. He lazily stood up and reached for her as she was hoisted up on his shoulder again. 

“...If you don’t mind, this is kinda uncomfortable. Could you carry me another way?”

Comfortable? He never thought about that. After all, it was the most convenient way to move corpses or people. Let’s see… a comfortable way… Oh! He had an idea! His mom always gave him piggyback rides when he was little, she would run with him on her back as he pointed to the places he wanted to go. He bent down and faced his back towards her with his hands on his sides, waiting for her to get on. 

“A piggyback ride?”

He grunted and waited for her to get on. Her hands vibrated as her face lit up in excitement, this was unbelievable! She wrapped her arms around his neck and inserted her legs in his arms as he slowly stood up, making sure she wouldn’t fall. 

The whole ride back to the cabin felt perfect as she looked around the colossal forest. There were moss on trees, birds nests, the gentle sound of flowing water. She wondered if Jason’s arms were tired, they weren’t. The last time he got exhausted and was in immense pain was when that bad girl tricked him. His grip on Lily’s thighs became tighter as he thought to how he took care of that girl for six weeks. He was very patient, but that girl still kept screaming even after he brought food and water for her. His pace increased as his thoughts became clouded, her weight felt like nothing. She noticed his increase in pace, and was about to ask him until the cabin came into view as a blur of colors. 

~~~~  
  
  
  


•~•~•~•

 ~~~~  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my longest chapter so far, over 2,300 words! I hope to make future chapters over 2,000 words as well. If you have any advice or constructive criticism, feel free to comment! Until then, see you next chapter on August 19th! ヽ(*´∀｀)


	13. An Apology

The forest was frozen cold from every corner, decorated with various signs of approaching winter. Trees lost their leaves as thin clumps of ice formed. It observed the weather closely, gathering the fallen leaves for shelter. It dug more holes for hibernation as it stocked up on food. Someone had raided their blueberry bushes a while ago, forcing it to travel further for food. _Thump...thump...thump._ Its alert ears picked up on the new sound as it located the source. A person, or rather a blur of blue and black was inching closer as it stayed still. It ducked back into its home when the figure came too close, staying under the tunnels and listening as the thumping noise grew fainter. 

_____________

She was hesitant about leaving that day, fearing how he would react. She was never good at confrontation, and she always hated class presentations. Her smile never lifted even when she was anxious. She remembers the day when she got labeled as the whisperer. She tried to talk louder, but the other kids would never listen. 

_The ticking of the clock kept going as class continued, the tapping pencils of bored students were noticeable as it tapped to an unspoken beat. They were learning about math, specifically about mixed fractions._

_“Can anyone tell me the answer to fifteen?”_

_She considered herself to be good at math, most students struggled with fractions, but she could picture it in her mind. She never raised her hand, but this question was easy, she was sure of the answer. “The answer is one and three fourth.” she repeated in her mind. Fidgeting with her pencil, she mustered the courage and slowly raised her hand high._

_“Yes, Lilian?” Mrs. Stewart asked._

_“The answer is one and three fourth.” She whispered._

_She knew she had said it too quietly, her face lit up with embarrassment as she stared at the worksheet on her desk._

_“Pardon?”_

_“Pardon? What does that mean?” She thought, still finding the worksheet intensely interesting. Did that mean she was wrong? She didn’t know, so she stayed silent, waiting for something to happen. She saw another hand raise in her peripheral vision, it was Haruka Watanabe._

_“Haruka?”_

_“The answer is one and three fourth.”_

_“Right.”_

_Mrs.Stewart continues writing on the board, explaining how she got the answer and solved it step by step. Lilian wasn’t listening, “Why did she say my answer was wrong?” She thought. Thoughts began bombarding her mind, as she came to outrageous conclusions. “She doesn’t like me? I did something wrong? Did I make her look bad?” The only thing that brought her out of her thoughts were the loud rings of the bell, it was lunch time. She headed outside to lunch, sitting at a distance from kids she didn’t know. She didn’t talk while she ate, that irritated mom. She finished eating and threw the cardboard tray away, walking into the library._

_She headed to fiction section, surveying the new books that arrived. She had just finished reading Harry Potter and won the reading program, earning her a free book and pencil. The library was her haven, where she could relax, where she could get lost in her own mind imagining the surreal worlds without any judging eyes. She picked up the new book tilted “The Academy for Good and Evil” and flipped open to the first page. She loved the smell of parchment, it gave her a nice feeling. She kept reading and reading until a sound disrupted her state of mind. Only, instead of the ringing of the school bell, it was a familiar hoarse voice._

She scanned around frantically, her heart beat faster as she prepared for confrontation, but there wasn’t any. 

“Hello, Lily. …Again, I’m sorry, I mean it.” 

He waited for a response, and only sighed when he didn’t get one. He expected this, when he went home that day, he was trying to think of ways to apologize.

He thought about a drawing or food or a gift, but the last time he tried to comfort her, she saw it as a bribe. Something must’ve happened before to cause her to think that way. 

She stood still as she guessed to where he was, her legs felt like heavy weights as she tried to move them. Maybe it was because she was too deep in thought to notice her surroundings, or he was just that good at sneaking. Either way, it was unnerving.

“When did you get there?”

If you listened, you could hear the slight shake in her voice, giving away some of her current emotions.

“After you spaced out.”

This answer calmed her, at least he wasn’t just _waiting_ there for her, that would be creepy. 

“I’m sorry, Dustin. I… I think I want to forgive you, but there’s this, thing, telling me not too.”

He thought as much, saying sorry isn’t enough. He thought back to the days when he got in trouble at school, as long as you said sorry sincerely enough, they would let you off on a warning. However he actually wasn’t disappointed at her response, she wasn’t naive.

“I think you’re still angry at me- “

“No I’m not- “

“Lily.”

She could picture his expression clearly, stern but gentle, his eyes were full of patience as the wrinkles around his eyes formed.

“I know deep down you’re still angry at me, but that’s normal. Forgiveness is not given, it’s earned. Give it some time, and that feeling will be gone just like that.”

She thought about what he just said, furrowing her eyebrows together. The feeling of betrayal was still there, but it was moving slowly, like it wanted to get out. 

“Sorry, I-“

“Shhh… It’s alright, you didn’t do anything wrong. Just, apologizing a lot can get you taken advantage of, okay?”

Her mind shifted to a flashback, she was never described as confident, and many students would pick on her because she didn’t tell the teachers. But she was never good at voicing her opinions, not after… _that thing._

“Sorry, I mean- okay. ...Okay.” 

He started grinning and a dimple formed, adding to his already wrinkled face. 

“You won’t become confident just like that, but it’ll get better as you learn.”

She stared at the ground as she remained silent, unsure of what to say. She didn’t need to starts at it for long though, since he spoke up before it became too awkward.

“Well I better get going, We’ll meet like this tomorrow okay?” 

“Okay.”

She watched as he stepped out of the trees back facing her and walking away, she didn’t know why, but the finger that was attacking her earlobe relaxed and retreated back at her side.

  
____________

The lily patch wilted when she came to check on it. It had already been wilting, but now they’ve all died. _Died?_ She didn’t like that word, it was morbid, and she was told it was bad. She didn’t know what morbid really means, just that it was associated with death. Would she be a lily if she were a flower? _What type of lily? What color? What did colors represent anyway?_ She didn’t know, people would associate different colors with different things, like black for death, red for blood, boldness, dangers, all kinds of things. She sat down and stared at the wilted lilies, what color did white represent again? _Angels... safeness…?_

The lily petals looked wrinkled, dry, and kind of like Dustin. She smirked at that, imagine if he was a lily, would he be a pink one? He was calm but fun in a way, but he also seems secretive, about what she didn’t know. What about Jason? Would he be- Snap! The breaking of a stick captured her attention and she turned around while sitting to find Jason with a broken stick in his hands. 

“Were you trying to scare me?”

He shook his head. He then broke another twig and signed, _you know where I._ She nodded and gave him a thumbs up, replying with a thank you. 

“We can’t make flower crowns anymore, do you have any ideas?”

He thought about it and had a few ideas. They- or she, could read books or play board games. He knew he had monopoly in his toy chest, though he wasn’t sure if all the pieces were still there. Or they can- yes! How did he not think of it sooner? That was one of his favorite games!

He nodded and motioned for her to follow. His strides weren’t long, but she had a hard time keeping up due to his long legs shifting his weight around. They arrived at his cabin where he held the door open for her, waiting for her to walk in. She signed another thank you as she awkwardly stood to the side of the living room. 

She noticed the place looked cleaner, the table was more organized, the corners didn’t look so dusty, and the cabin was just cleaner overall. He led her into his room where she stood near a corner as he searched for something. He pulled out a checkerboard and placed it on his bed while he searched for the pieces to play with. She wiped the board with her hand as dust dispersed into the air. 

He took out a bag of supposed pieces for the board, they clinked inside as he placed them down. It was chess, she had played it before, but the rules grew foggy in her mind after so long. _You know how?_ He signed. 

“Yes, but I’m not very good at it.”

He shrugged and started arranging the pieces. He took the black ones, so she grabbed the white ones. _The little ones all go in front…_ She didn’t remember much beyond that, so she looks at his side and copies where he placed his pieces. 

“Do I go first?” 

He nodded, and so the game begins. She knew how each piece worked, but was unsure of what to move first. She ultimately settled for moving her little piece onto g3. He was quicker than her, and moved his little piece onto d5. 

He waited as she set all her pawns crisscrossed from each other, she was a beginner. The first game was a test run for him, to measure her skill level so far. He liked chess, you don’t need to talk, and he could picture the results in his mind. His mother told him that if you’re good at planning ahead, you would be good at chess. Lily seemed to know how to set simple traps, like baiting and sacrificing certain pieces for more useful ones. He could’ve avoided them, but took the bait to let her feel the experience. 

It was easy to tell what she was thinking, she would sometimes hover her hand above a piece and then retreat it. He won the first game without having to think too much. She didn’t feel defeated when she lost the first game, she had a feeling he was skilled. She could see the calculation behind his eyes, planning ahead and then setting it in motion. 

They played a second and third game, expect Jason took the time to show her how it would play out. She had her rook target his knight, but just before she took it, he showed her how his bishop could’ve captured her rook and put her king in check. 

He stopped around the sixth game after she looked drowsy and ready to sleep. The night was engulfed in darkness as the crickets chirped between the untended ferns. The sky turned dark around six-twenty now, he wondered when the lake would freeze over again. There were a few times when people ice-skated over the lake, he was sure one of them fell in and drowned.

He started collecting the pieces and putting them back into the cloth bag, it looked slightly gray due to all the dust it’s collected. 

The walk back to her cabin now seemed like miles, her legs didn’t want to move, and her body just wanted to flop down and rest. She lied down on the mattress and peered at the ceiling, it was a light yellow mixed with gray. Or was it light peach?

He turned around to find her fast asleep on his bed, her mouth was slightly open and her chest moving up and down as she breathed. He took off his coat and placed it on her as he observed the rips and stains, he should really clean it sometime. Speaking of cleaning, the bear traps he set out caught something but it escaped, leaving blood stains on the teeth. He headed down towards the mines and started working on it, the left side was loose, and some traps were getting quite dull. He didn’t notice, but it was already dawn when he finished repairing all of the broken traps. 

  
  
  
•~•~•~•

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Winter is approaching! I was thinking of Jason and Lily going ice skating on the lake, but that idea was scratched haha. If you have anything you’d like to share feel free to comment! Anyways see you next week in chapter fourteen! ٩( ᐛ )و


	14. Something Beautiful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an short extra chapter and takes place in the future of my canon storyline!

Clank,Clatter. Her small hands rummaged through the wooden chest, looking for something to relieve her boredom. _Twister? No. Battleship, Cluedo, Sorry. No, nope, and not really._ She plucked each board game from the chest, slowly working her way to the bottom. She held _Game of Life_ in her left hand when she caught red in the corner of her eye. Pushing the other games and toys out of the way, she roughly pulled out Monopoly, one of the many rage-inducing games she’s played before, including Cluedo, she hated that game. It was complex and she could never figure out how the victim died. 

The old creak of the front door notified her of his arrival, he had just finished his afternoon rounds. Surprisingly, no one intruded today, which was pretty rare when summer rolls around. He placed his machete back into place as he trotted into his room where she sat on the floor. A game board laid out before him, it was Monopoly from what he recalled. 

“Want to play?”

He shrugged, why not? It has been a _long_ time since he’s even laid eyes on a board game, let alone play one. He sat down on the floor as she picked out the pieces and sorted the money, she chose an iron and he chose a boot. Just as he reached for the dies, she announced,

“I’m going to add a new rule. When you pass go, you get to draw on the other person. And you’re out when both your arms have no space to draw anymore.”

He thought about this addition, it was interesting for sure, he wondered how it would turn out. They played rock parapet scissors and she went first, rolling a three and four. She took a chance card when she landed on the hot pink question mark.

“Bank pays you dividend of fifty dollars.”

She grabbed a fifty dollar bill and placed it with her other bills as he picked up the dies and rolled. His boot landed on Connecticut Avenue, right next to jail. 

“Do you want to buy it?” 

_No, he signed. He was going to wait for the ones that give him more money,_ he had a thing for Pacific Avenue. He rolled again, and stopped on a railroad that he decided to buy, those were pretty useful.

She managed to pass go first just as he finished rolling, smirking at him as she clicked the pen. 

“What do you want me to draw?”

_Something...beautiful._ His decided as he rolled his fingers. He swore her smile widened when she reached for his arm, placing the pen on his skin. She covered what she was drawing with her right hand, he was tempted to look over but ultimately decided not to. His skin felt like it was being tickled, but it also felt nice and soothing in a weird way. She looked up at him a few times, which he just tilted his head in response, anything wrong? 

“Done.” 

She stated. He looked at his arm, a hockey mask that was identical to his was there in blue ink, she even drew eyes behind the empty holes of the mask. He tilted his head, _I don’t understand,_ he signed. 

“Well… I think you’re beautiful. You’re prettier than this forest.”

His chest warmed with joy, he just couldn’t resist a compliment, it’s been years since he even communicated with anyone. He pulled her into his chest as he squeezed her like his teddy bear, but not too hard, that would be painful. She was still shorter than him, but her chin sort of touched his shoulder now, if she looked up. She wrapped both arms around and squeezed back, giggling a bit as he joined in with her. 

“Love you too, dad.”

He pulled away and nodded, patting her head and ruffling her hair.

“By the way, you landed on my property.”

She couldn’t control her smile as he checked the number on the dies, he indeed did land on her property, but at least he passed go. So she handed him the pen and he decided to draw a teddy bear. Granted, it wasn’t good, but she signed thank you anyway. By late afternoon, both their arms were covered in doodles of random things, ranging from lollipops to spiders. She even drew hello kitty, he liked the bow. 

He eventually won when both her arms were covered in ink, and it was the perfect time too, because the bells jingled the moment they finished cleaning it up. He waved goodbye and patted her head one last time before setting out to handle the disruption.

It was a man in his late twenties hiking the old trails, but Jason messed up as he went too close, resulting in him being spotted and leading to a chase. The man ran blindly through the trees, not in any specific direction and easy to predict by the sharp turns of his body. He was eventually cornered as the machete raised and went straight for him. The swing missed him by a hair as he dodged to the left, but the sudden movement threw off his balance and he tumbled to the ground beneath him. And as he raised his arm up for protection, he swore he saw the innocent face of hello kitty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys! School just dumped a whole lot of homework and deadlines for me, so I’m going to focus on studies for the time being. I will be back on Setember ninth next month. Again, sorry! Until then, I’ll see you next chapter! (Comment if you liked this chapter!)  
> ( ´Д`)y━･~~


	15. Into the Forest

Screams and demands echoed throughout his house through the phone, shaking the old walls and wooden flooring. His hand tightly clutched the phone, while a female voice argued with him. It’s been hard, he told his granddaughter about how he thought her mother gave her ring to one of her friends. She was beyond enraged now, he was taking “too much time” as she calls it, and their relationship was taking a beating because of it.

“Which fucking one!? Tell me!”

“Whi-“

“TELL ME!”

“I CAN’T!”

He finally lost his temper, staying calm throughout the whole call has left a sour taste in his mouth.

“I just...I don’t know yet, okay. Just forget it.”

He hung up after muttering the last sentence, pinching the bridge of his nose. If the _incident_ didn’t help, her brother’s death surely did. She cried so much at his funeral, and kept sobbing “it’s all his fault, all his fault.”. When she first told him, he’d thought she did drugs. But then the news of her brother’s body was found, and she was eventually sent to mental therapy. 

:-:-:-:-:

_Hmnnn. The sound of violins could be heard through the sobbing and silence, the frost in the air made it seem much eerier, and the dark clothes they wore didn’t help. The black dress hugged her body softly as she stood next to him, eyeing the coffin every so often. She cried on his shoulder and held his hand tightly, half whispering while the music played._

_“First mom and then brother! I know we didn’t get along the best but-“_

_“Shhhh, it’ll be alright. I’m here for you.”_

_“Grandpa, don’t be next, please. Don’t leave me all alone.”_

_He couldn’t promise that, and his hand just moved along her back, hoping to soothe even a little pain. The car ride home was silent, as she stared out the window, eyes shifting between the various building and trees, never focusing on anything._

:-:-:-:-:

_Ding...ding...ding._ The grandfather clock struck eleven as its sound spread through the house, echoing so loud you could hear it in the basement. He remembered setting it to strike every hour, he liked being able to keep track of time. He couldn’t meet Lily today, he had things to attend to. Grabbing a sheet off his desk, he started scribbling down words and sentences. His hand was shaky, but steady enough to the point where he could still draw. He considered his handwriting neat, at least neat enough to read. 

The cold September wind greeted his face as he stepped out onto the vast field, viewing the swaying grass. He didn’t need glasses to see far, but the words in his books become smaller each day. He remembers crossing over the first time, his body was stiff, his muscles ready to flee at any moment. He’s seen the legend, Jason Voorhees, they call him. The very memory still makes his shudder in fear. 

_His ears swore they heard something while he was tending to the old willow tree near the camp, so he went closer, and the screams became clearer. He was sure it was another prank by some naughty kids, the camp was like an attraction to them._

_“HELP ME!”_

_His gut told him it sounded too real, but he bit off more than he could chew when he walked even closer. The unfurnished grass outlined where the territories met, and though he didn’t cross it, what he saw was very clear. A woman’s head was split open right in front of him, he could almost smell it, the salty rusty smell. He thought it couldn’t get worse as red liquid oozed from her skull, dripping onto her nose and mouth. Just as he processed this, the murderer locked eyes with him, he couldn't see their eyes, no, but he was sure they were looking at him. His legs carried him faster than ever in the last two decades, ever since he quit running. He locked every door and window, double-checking the locks and seeking shelter in the attic. Every creak and noise made his body jolt, he didn’t get sleep that night._

The same wave of adrenaline passed him as he stepped over, listening to the whispers of the forest. It was a gamble every time he dared tread here, but this was the only way. His body swayed as it fell forward, thankfully, his left leg stepped forward and caught him. Maybe he should get a cane, his spine certainly wasn’t getting better, but he could still “jog” in a sense. The letter was held on the stump by a rock as he slowly made his way back, thinking about his phone call earlier. _Why did I do that?_ If he had just kept his temper, maybe things would’ve turned out differently. But it was too late now, and he could only hope she’d forgive him. 

:-:-:-:-:

She woke up to a cold room, but her body didn’t shiver, instead, it was strangely bathed in warmth. She sat up only for his coat to slide down, releasing some trapped heat. She got up slowly in search of him, her toes carefully danced across the wooden planks. She cautiously estimated which plank would cause a creak and avoided them, though she was wrong and made loud creaks on multiple occasions. 

He heard the many creaks the wood erupted but didn’t go investigate like usual, because he knew the person up there wasn’t a threat to him nor his house. His hands almost kept working until he recalled the bathroom. _The bathroom!_ His nose breathed in deeply, as he quickly advanced towards the exit, ready to pull open the trapdoor. Bang! The trapdoor slammed into the flooring as he scanned the kitchen, spotting a still figure. His shoulders dropped at this, relieved she didn’t venture into the bathroom, he wouldn’t be able to explain what lay inside.

Her feet stopped dead in their tracks as the trapdoor flew open, with Jason bursting out of it. Her breath hitched as she stood frozen, wondering what she did wrong. Upon registering what he just did, he frantically skimmed his mind for what to do. His hand shot up before his thoughts cleared, and before he could stop, he had already signed hello. 

“...Hi…?”

Her eyes squinted in confusion as her lower body stood again. 

“What are you doing up here?”

He couldn’t tell her even if he wanted to, he didn’t know how to sign the words. Feeling under pressure, he walked out of the trapdoor and just signed _food_ before walking out the front door. Lilian wasn’t sure if it was something she did but ran out the open door after him. It didn’t occur to her that he needed food too, if he asked, she would’ve said yes! 

He knew it would take a while for her to catch up to him when he entered the kitchen, he was faster after all. Was he running away from her? No, he was just hungry, right? He picked up a granola bar and stared at it thoughtfully. His gloved fingers lingered when he touched his mask, eyeing the front door. _What would she think if she saw my face?_ He already knew the answer, _she would run._ He found his mind repeatedly calling himself an idiot for even thinking of more than one possibility. He could go a few more weeks without food anyway, he thought as he pulled out a chair. 

Her breathing was fast as she stepped into the cabin and saw him sitting and facing her. Her chest heaved up and down as her heavy breathing slowed, though not fully. 

“Aren’t you going to eat?” 

_Already eat._ He signed. He was grateful for this sign language, communication would be a lot harder if she didn’t teach him. 

“You should tell me next time if you’re hungry, I’ll share my food.”

He gave her a thumbs up and went back to face the wall, still thinking about his face. 

“Are you okay?”

She looked at him with curious eyes, he was in a glum mood, she could feel it. He nodded, and signed sleep as he got out of the chiar and headed towards the door. She couldn’t quite understand him today, but she’s never seen him sleep before, so maybe he was just really tired. _At least he pushed in his chair._ She checked the watch out of boredom as it turned twelve twenty. She jumped out of her seat and roughly pushed her chair in as she opened the front door and started sprinting, she was late! Her body kept running as she hoped that he would still be there, waiting for her. Her hands dropped to her side when he wasn’t there, but something white seemed to be purposely stuck to the stump. She approched it and found a piece of paper that Dustin supposedly left her. 

The handwriting was somewhat messy, and looked a bit cursive, it took a while for her to figure out some messy words. From what she understood, he had some things to do and couldn’t come today, he also assinged her homework: draw the lake. The lake? She’s never drawn water before, how would she draw the lake? She saw a classmate draw wavy lines over an oval on time, does that count? Did he want her to draw the things around- 

“Hey, where’s my phone?”

Her head turned towards the direction of the noise, it wasn’t too close, but it was close enough to hear. She picked a nearby bush and slowly crawled into it, careful to make no more than a few rustles. 

“In your backpack.”

She heard what seemed to be the unzipping of a backpack and a hand rummaging through its contents. 

“Found it. So where are we going to camp out?”

“Anywhere that’s big and flat enough.”

“Cool.”

She listened to their conversation, feeling a strange tingle in her body. Clink! She heard something fall in the vicinity of her hiding spot but didn’t dare open her eyes. 

“Be careful with that!”

“Well, then why don’t _you_ carry it?”

Lily only started moving after she could no longer hear the voices nor footsteps. She was always good at hide and seek, her mom often played with her. She never liked it, but she’s learned to find hiding spots naturally now. Manuvering her way out of the bush, she acidentally scraped some mud on her knee, it didn’t hurt, so she didn’t bother removing it. As she tucked the note into her back pocket, she wondered why one of the voices sounded so familiar.

:-:-:-:-:

Her dark black locks draped over her chest as she walked, carrying the heavy backpack on her shoulders. She loved nature, it was just so beautiful. It never fails to calm her down and give her peace of mind, which was why she chose photography in the first place. She wanted to cherish the mesmerizing landscapes of hills and trees and forests. She knew there was a closed campsite that housed a forest nearby, and it wasn’t _technically_ illegal to go there, so why not? All was going as planned until one of her co-wokers, Chloe, decided to tag along. She didn’t _really_ mind, Chloe seemed pretty nice at the workplace, but that turned out to only be a facade. 

Chloe’s voice brought her out of her thoughts. She asked where her phone was, _is that all you think about?_ She told her it was in her backpack, because she saw her put it in while she drove here. The duration of the walk was filled with frequent and aimless questions that Chloe kept asking. Her nerves were slowly being irritated one by one, but the final straw was when she dropped her Nikon Z6 camera. She was hesitant about letting Chloe hold onto her camera, but it wasn’t exactly up to her, the reason being she was carrying most of the supplies they needed. She sent her glare of resentment as she went and picked up the camera. Checking it for damage. She let out a small sigh of relief when the camera seemed fine. _Did she know how much this cost!?_ She worked her butt off on multiple jobs to get past the monthly bills _and_ buy this camera! She tightly placed the strap on her neck as she picked up her bags once again, ignoring the fewer but still persisting statements that come out from her co-worker’s mouth. 

:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m finally back! Sorry for the hiatus, but it really helped not having this deadline to worry about! In order to lessen the chances of another hiatus, I will update a chapter every two weeks now, sorry! Anyway, hope you had fun reading, see you next chapter! ( ＾∀＾)


	16. A Familiar Face

Ring! The ringing of the bells made Jason look towards the ceiling, and an unworried look crossed his face. Under normal circumstances, he would go out towards that area and check, but since it only rang once, chances were high that it was an animal or Lily. He’d been with her around that area many times, she had a fondness of that stump. His hand continued with his work as he dismissed the ring as it tampered with the empty bear traps, he hoped it wouldn’t snow too hard this year.

:-:-:-:-:

  
  


Click! She took photos of the captivating landscape around her, pausing every once in a while to appreciate it. 

“Is this place haunted?” 

“No, I did my research. But there is a legend.”

Chole held a bored expression, expecting her to continue. 

“Jason Voorhees, he kills people with a machete.”

She didn’t want to elaborate, it’s not like Chole would be very interested anyway.

“So, it is haunted?”

Her clenched teeth and leveled eyebrows would’ve told anyone that she was not in the mood to talk, but the purple-haired woman behind her just couldn’t seem to take a hint. 

“Hey, why’d you stop?”

“Let’s camp here, you set up the tents and use your phone or something.”

“There’s no signal.”

“Then just eat food or something, I’m going to take some pictures.”

“I’ll come with you.”

_No!_ She was usually a level headed person, but _some—_ very few people can get on her nerves. She silently took a deep breath, exhaling as she came up with a plan.

“There’s an abandoned cabin that might be haunted.” She pointed towards where the cabin would be. “There might be some antiques in there.”

Chole pursed her lips and thought about it, antiques can sell for a lot of money, right? 

“Okay, see you later.” 

She watched as the smudge of purple steadily shrunk. She picked up her camera and set out to find the lake, or would’ve if she didn’t have to set up the tents first.

Lily’s eyes glossed over her sketch of the lake, something doesn’t look right, it just didn’t _feel_ like a lake. If Dustin was here, she’s sure that he’d help her somehow. _This part would be up a little bit. The proportions, Lily. No, this would be longer._ His voice rang in her mind as she searched for a mistake in her drawing. _The texture. The texture!_ She analyzed her sketch carefully, comparing it to the real lake. She shaded the whole lake gray, it looked like a blob alongside the landscape. She knew what was wrong now.

Her fingers flipped the pencil around as she pressed it to the paper, transforming the gray into white as she applied pressure. Erasing the former gray area, it stood out by itself and looked much more like a lake, minus the few unerasable smudges. _Now for the trees._ The sound of pencil skidding on paper could be heard if you listened intently. _Draw with your eyes, not your memory._ She repeated this in her head. Her eyes stayed glued to the tree, it’s details, leaves, branches. Her hand followed on the paper, as her eyes acted as the guide. Before she knew it, the outlines and details were already done, now all that was left was the shading. She took a deep breath as she prepared to get lost in drawing once again, but before she focused, she heard the very clear scream of a woman not too far away. 

The beads of sweat slid down her still tense muscles as she just registered the scream. Her eyes widened in alarm as she recognized who the voice belonged to. _Chole._ Has something happened!? Her gut feeling twitched, but not because of the scream, it was yelling at her to leave. She pressed on despite her body’s warning, running towards the general direction Chole wandered off to. For a while, all she could hear was her heaving intakes of breaths and heavy footfalls, but for a moment, her guts alerted her of someone else’s presence. Instantly, her feet came to a halt as she looked around, narrowing her round eyes.

“Chole?”

Her voice came just above a whisper, and she would’ve brushed it off if it weren’t for her heightened senses. Amongst the many shades of green and brown around her, a patch of green just looked too… artificial.

“Who’s there?”

Her voice was very audible this time, almost nearing a shout as she waited for someone to come out from the bushes. When no one showed, she hesitantly took a step forward, making sure they knew she was approaching.

“If you don’t come out right now, you really don’t want to know what’ll happen next.”

She made sure to take on a threatening tone, hissing out every word with venom as she waited once again. First, it was an arm, and then they turned around suddenly, fists clenched tightly at their sides. _Wait, aren’t you—_

“Lily!? _”_

A wave of bedlam washed over her as she heard her name. _How do you know my name?_ She stared into the woman’s light brown eyes, they seemed familiar. Weird, where did she see them before? Then it hit her: mom’s friend, the one who worked as a freelancer. 

“Bella?”

Bella’s confusion downed just a notch, so it was Lily, but what in the world was she doing here? The question was about to leave her lips, but before she could ask, Lily beat her to it.

“What are you doing here?”

She almost laughed, What was _she_ doing here!? That’s what she should ask her!

“What are _you_ doing here?”

“...Mom… mom left me here.”

The blood in her veins was replaced with lead almost instantly, _left her here? Audrey fucking left her here!? Audrey Handler, her good friend, abandoned her daughter and passed it off as her going missing!?_

“I thought you were dead!”

“I-”

“Audrey told me that you went missing! She fucking cried! We all cried, and she— what the hell!”

“Bella?”

Her hands trembled as she witnessed Bella talking to herself, saying how she was supposed to be dead. Her thoughts were clouded now, did mom _want_ her to die? Why? What did she do? How could she? Before she sorted out her own thoughts, a heavyweight was applied to her body, making her fall onto the ground. The moments passed like hours as Bella held onto her, afraid to let go. And when she finally did let go, Lily felt out of breath after being compressed like a human teddy bear. 

“Lily, I-I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. Wait, are you hungry!? How did you even survive?”

“Wait! I-just found a nice man and he gave me food and water, he comes here every day.”

She wasn’t exactly lying, Dustin did come here every day, just not to give her food, sometimes a juice box or two. She watched as her friend covered her face with her hands, but she could still see it, the pained expression she tried to hide. 

“How long have you stayed here?”

“I… I don’t know, mom, I—um was here at... maybe the end of July?”

“July!?”

“I think—“

“It’s the end of September! Tomorrow’s October!”

Before she could even reply, Bella interrupted her, stripping her of her warning. 

“How did you even! I came here with Chole and—” She stopped herself mid-sentence, _Chole._

“Oh my god.”

“What?“

“Chole!”

She started off in a run as soon as the scream from before registered, scolding herself for even forgetting something like that. 

Lilian’s throat tightened as she failed to tell her to stop. She too had completely forgotten the scream from before, shocked with the discovery of Bella. She started after her friend, but her already pumped legs moved even faster as a sudden realization crossed her. She raced to catch up with her, and there was only one thought that swirled around her mind at that moment. _Please don’t find Jason._

  
  
:-:-:-:-:

  
  


The machete at his side was gripped tightly in his hand even before the intruder entered his sacred home. He had heard the bells ring twice, and before he dismissed it again as Lily, it rang a third time, raising his suspicions. He had discussed the alarm with her before, drawing it down on a piece of paper he borrowed from her. He remembered her exact words: “I don’t know if I can avoid all of them. But if I do, you can know it’s me because I won’t ring it twice.” He waited patiently, listening attentively to the uneven rustles of the grass and leaves, getting ready to strike as soon as they came in. 

The door creaked loudly as he jabbed his hand forward, but instead of a head where the machete would be in, a woman was standing to the left. And before he could strike again, she screamed. 

It was a scream of terror as the woman attempted to flee. He had caught her by the hair while she yelled frantic pleas. Somewhere along the second “please”, the machete was already stained with cherry red blood that formed at the end and dripped. He looked around the newly dead body and observed, noting that she did not carry anything on her, which meant her belongings were elsewhere. 

She came from west of the lake according to the bells, and so he headed in that direction, heightening his senses as he searched for any other intruders.

Her strides were long and quick as she raced towards her destination, slightly out of breath. The long days of running every day have now proved its worth, she was glad she didn’t quit even with the busy schedule. Her lungs sucked in sharp breaths of air before she had to slow down, placing both hands on her upper thighs to rest. Just as she did this, something flew over her, and if she hadn’t have rested right then and there, the machete stuck in the tree right behind her would be lodged in her skull. 

She immediately looked up, but there was no one in her field of vision, only more trees that surrounded her. Her mind flashed back to Chole, but before she could take off, her body was suddenly pulled back, crashing into a tree. Her eyes could only flash confusion before her head was smashed into the tree once again. Her head throbbed with pain that only grew greater with each passing second, she was sure she’d pass out. 

“Stop!”

His elbow locked, stopping the movement as he let go of the female that slumped against the tree, directing his head towards the voice.

She could feel her shaky breath and clenched teeth as they made eye contact. Her eyes floated over to Bella’s cloudy ones, and for a moment, she was sure the limp body mouthed _help._

“She’s a good person, I’m sure she didn’t mean to trespass!”

He tilted his head, _how?_ He signed. 

“She’s my friend! She was the one that taught me sign language!”

She noticed Bella moving slightly but avoided looking to alert Jason. Her thoughts fought as she tried to decide what to do. Both of them were her friends, but she doubted Jason was going to let her friend live. She caught the word _right_ before Jason fell onto the ground as Bella tackled him, snatching the machete into her hands. 

“Look away, Lily!”

The machete immediately plunged into his chest harshly, right in the middle of his heart. Lily covered her eyes and turned away, not wanting to witness another murder. She heard a squelching sound as the machete was pulled out, followed by a shaky exhale, and then footsteps. 

“I’m sorry you have to go through all of this.”

She didn’t turn around, she didn’t trust her voice to not break down and for tears to come spilling out.

“...You killed him.” She whispered, “He was my friend.”

The leaves brushed against her calves as she knelt down, wrapping her arm around Lily’s shoulder. 

“He tried to kill me, Lily. He was going to kill you next.”

“You’re wrong!” Her body repelled from her arm as she stood up, looking away. “He was nice to me. He played with me and comforted me.”

“He’s a murderer!”

“And so are you!”

The machete dropped to the ground as she let go of her grip, her head turned towards the body. 

“It was self-defense!”

“You still killed him!”

Her chest puffed out with frustration, why couldn’t this little girl just listen to her! 

“It doesn’t matter, we’re getting out of here.”

His body lied there, unable to move as he listened to Lily’s loud protests. He became increasingly frustrated with his inability to move, whereas usually he’d be glad the victim thinks he’s dead. He heard footsteps stray away from him, he estimated he could catch them. His ever so tired eyes grew brighter as he felt his finger twitch with life, soon his whole body would be able to move again. 

His mind relaxed as he gripped the handle of the machete, it was always comforting to have it at his side. His eyes grew sharp as he marched where they left, he made sure to keep his steps quiet. They came into view not long after his quick and long strides. He kept his gaze firmly on the woman while she held Lily in her right arm. He maneuvered his way to where he was right behind her, and in one quick movement, the machete was aimed for her spine. 

It wasn’t until his hand moved that it was too late, his eyes processing who he was about to slash. _Lily? No—_ The sharp blade broke her skin as candy red orbs erupted, forming a large cut. He directed his attention to the woman once again, _this was her fault_ , he thought angrily. Shoving the machete in her direction, she failed to avoid his swift movement as he jabbed it in her shoulder. 

He could visibly see her jaw shake as she saw the red seeping out from her clothes, and he would’ve finished the job, except he had other things to worry about. He watched as she dropped Lily on the ground and took off running behind him, her eyes were filled with fear. 

Her body pumped with adrenaline as she ran aimlessly, wanting to get out of the forest. The adrenaline pumped fiercely through her body, and she forgot she was even carrying a person in the first place. She couldn’t think clearly, couldn’t remember, she could only focus on one thought, _run._ She didn’t know how long she ran for, but the trees grew denser as time passed, and when she saw what looked like a farm up ahead, her fear depleted. The ground beneath her swayed as she collapsed, but she couldn’t help but feel relieved when an old man approached her, asking if she needed help. 

:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Does this chapter count as angst? I dunno, I’m guessing yes, and to top it off I ended with a iffy ending. I’ve been trying to write extra chapters ahead of time so I don’t fall behind, the next chapter will be on October seventh, see you then! ✌︎('ω')✌︎


	17. Trust

Her confusion subsided her pain as she looked up and saw Jason. Her eyebrows pressed deep into her forehead as she stumbled on the ground, shuffling the wilted leaves. _What in the world was happening?_

He looked at the girl recoil in confusion, was this because of that woman? He knew she would die sooner or later, one of the major arteries were located where he stabbed, she’d die if she kept running aimlessly. 

“How are you… not dead?” He shrugged, he wasn’t quite sure either, he was surprised when he came back to life after being thrown off a cliff the first time too.

“But she just stabbed you!?” Her voice was shaking with confusion, “Right in the chest too! That’s where your heart is!”

He shrugged once more, he didn’t know how to explain it to her, he didn’t even know himself! She was still on the ground when he remembered the cut, that had to be treated. Reaching out for her arm, she jolted back and stared at him as if he was a monster, uncertainty filled her eyes to the brim. 

She touched her arm where it was cut, she could feel the watery and warm blood, the searing pain didn’t help. She bit her lip to try and overcome the pain, but it only made her more conscious of it, causing her to start crying. She saw him come towards her again, his eyes displayed worry, but little dots danced through her vision, making her thoughts incoherent. 

A pool of blood was steadily forming now, the rich dripping color didn't show any signs of stopping soon. Jason searched through his thoughts, the people he killed lost much more blood before they started slowing down or losing consciousness, so why did her face look ghost white? The more he thought, the paler she became, it was obvious the bleeding needed to be stopped. He wrapped his arm around her torso as she struggled, trying to kick him in the chest. He tried not to touch her wound and carefully lifted her up as he was kicked right in the ribs. The hit didn’t faze him, her hit weighed nothing compared to the adults he’s encountered. 

She kicked him weakly on the shoulder, pounding her small fists against his back, but his pace didn't slow as his footsteps found a rhythm. Her body eventually succumbed to fatigue, she could see a noticeable path of blood where he walked, it reminded her of _Hansel and Gretel_. What did they use to find their way back again? Her head slumped tiredly on his shoulder before she could answer. 

______________

His legs ached with fatigue as he walked out from his car, a bag of groceries in each hand. He swore the markets these days were trying to rip him off, since when did a tiny box of blackberries cost four ninety-nine!? It wasn’t _that_ bad, he supposed, at least he didn’t have a family to care for, that made it easier in certain aspects. He placed the milk into the top shelf of the fridge as he took out a stick of butter. His maintenance man, Issac, was going to come sometime this week to water his crops and check up on some things. He made himself a fruit parfait as he topped it with strawberries and blackberries. Blackberries, his favorite food, it had just the right texture and taste, especially cold blackberries. Speaking of blackberries, he should check up on his black tulips. 

Putting the weight on his legs, he felt his back withhold almost enough pressure to trip him, he _really_ needed a cane. _Where do you go to buy one anyway?_ Walking towards his back garden, his eyes caught what seemed to be a woman running towards him. That couldn’t be right, was he hallucinating? One more glance brought him out of his thoughts, there _was_ a woman. And worse, her hair was flying everywhere while her shoulder looked terribly bloody. 

He hurried towards her and was about to ask what happened when he stopped himself. There was only one likely thing that could’ve happened, and it involved Jason. 

“Do you need help, miss?” He saw the way her muscles twitched and tremble, the adrenaline may have allowed her to run faster, but she may have torn her muscles. 

“...It hurts…” She heaved in lungfuls of air, trying to soothe her drained muscles, “Please, help me.” 

He looked over her shoulder closely, there was no sign of Jason, was it safe? “Here,” he shifted her weight onto his shoulder, “Let’s get you inside.” 

His hips whined as the extra weight poured onto him, it took some effort to move even a few steps.

  


______________

His hold on her body became loose as he realized she was asleep. He recalled there was some medicine near his work desk from trespassers that came before. He himself never really needed it, but even with his high incredible healing abilities, medicine still helped. He carefully got in the mines below the trapdoor, making sure not to accidentally hit Lilian. Her body now laid in his right arm as he walked, he tried carrying her with both arms, but her body was too small for that. Reaching the space lit by a lone lantern, he placed her body on a mattress. Bottles of all sizes and drinks littered the space around it, he threw out the liquor after it left an unappealing smell, but kept some bottles he found interesting. 

His hand rummaged through the mess of the clothing of his victims, books, and other items that weren’t needed at the time. He finally found a roll of bandage, a cloth, and some rubbing alcohol. He looked at the container storing the medicine, _what if it was expired?_ The liquid looked cloudy, can medicine even expire? Well, it was better than the wound getting infected, he should know from experience. 

He was walking quietly towards her went his legs suddenly froze. His eyes became sharper, and the things he was carrying dropped to the ground as he pulled out his machete. _Whitney...?_ No, it couldn’t be, she ran away, remember? The figure lying on the mattress surfaced unwanted memories, memories of pain and sadness. He still had little snippets of her from time to time. He didn’t exactly blame her for running away, no one in the right mind would willingly stay with him. But she managed to befriend him in a way, and just as they got acquainted, she ran away. A sinking feeling settled in his stomach as he stood there, he thought back to how Lily looked at him. Something about the way her body trembled unnerved him, he felt like it was more than just confusion due to blood loss. No, it was more like… mistrust. 

Whitney’s face flashed through his mind, her screams, crying, desperate pleas. A part of him knew it was wrong, but most of him didn’t want to believe it. He looked back at the ever so still body, her snoring seemed to follow a beat, but there was no steady pattern. His eyes unintentionally wandered to her wrists, and he didn’t know how to feel. He had bound Whitney’s hands together with leather shackles that were sometimes chained to the wall. It was necessary so that she wouldn’t escape, but it didn’t really matter in the end. _Would Lily leave me too?_ He didn’t know, Whitney also tried to gain his trust and then flee, how did he know she wouldn’t do the same? _She’s had plenty of chances to run away._ A voice echoed inside his head. _Her smiles were real._ Another added. 

He knew he still had shackles in the mess of things down there, no, knew exactly where it was. it wouldn’t even be that hard to chain her down, she was currently unconscious. His eyebrows scrunched together as he thought deeply. If- 

“Hmmm,” Lilian mumbled. 

Her body turned over as she faced the ceiling, eyes still closed. Without making a sound, he picked up the fallen materials needed to treat her and walked over. His knees touched the hard ground as he kneeled down, he twisted open the cap of the rubbing alcohol. He poured some onto the cloth, making it damp and ready for use. Gently, he placed the towel over the cut, softly pressing it onto the wound. She shuffled her arm around, the pain didn’t seem major enough to wake her. Taking ahold of her arm once again, he bandaged the wound tightly, as the gray turned a shade of garnet. Placing the things on his desk for future uses, he headed up to grab a blanket, after all, who can get decent rest when it's cold?

_____________

She laid still in the barn that smelled of musk and hay, feeling dizzy due to the bloodloss. He pushed hard on her shoulder and tried to slow the bleeding. 

“How are you feeling?”

She turned to face him, but her mind was elsewhere as she regarded him with unfocused eyes. 

“Is the ambulance almost here?” She whimpered, unable to keep her voice above a whisper, even intake of breath made the pain worsen. 

“Soon, miss. Would you like some warm milk with honey?” 

The idea seemed great, maybe it’d distract her from the pain. She agreed tiredly, and he stood up to prepare the drink. Gray steam rose in a swirl from the steaming cup as she held it in her hands. 

“Hey, I know this sounds crazy, and I’m not hallucinating, but I was almost killed by a man in a hockey mask.”

He nodded, “Yes, I know.”

Her tiredness suddenly went away as she turned to meet his eyes, “How?”

“Well, I was one of the consolers in charge of him at the camp.”

“You… let him drown?”

He averted her accusing eyes, finding a red section of the barn very interesting. 

“Well, I… yes, I suppose I did, I’m just as guilty.”

She looked at him cautiously, not sure what to make of this information. 

“Hey, I read that because of the large number of prank calls to police this place gets, the police don’t get involved anymore. Is that true?”

He looked at her with an expression she could not understand, and then very slowly, said yes. And then a sinking feeling suddenly planted itself in her stomach as her body pulsed harder for some unknown reason. The numbness in her shoulder felt cold now, and the adrenaline that was slowly dispersing suddenly raced back into her bloodstream.

“So how do I know if an ambulance is really coming?”

His wrinkled lips formed a defeated smile, not cruel nor happy. It was as if he knew he’d been cornered, but that couldn’t be, she was the one that was going to perish. 

“I’m sorry miss, but you’ve got me figured out. Even if I had called, I doubt they’d have taken it very seriously.”

She painfully choked out a laugh, though it deprived of joy and excitement. No, instead it was filled with a mix of despair and desperation. 

“Could you at least tell me why then?” Traces of anger were now evident in her voice. “Why are you just letting me die, after being nice to me? Do you enjoy this you sick fucking freak!?”

He looked her in the eye and sighed, “I failed to prevent Jason’s death, the least I can do is lessen his problems, don’t you agree?”

First, it was a chuckle, that ultimately altered into a fanatic laugh. “That’s some sick way to repay someone!” She hacked and croaked in pain, every intake of air hurt. Neither of them knew what the other was thinking, nor were they themselves in the right mind. “Hah,” She croaked, “I was too naive, I shouldn’t have trusted some random stranger. If only I was thinking straight.”

“If only,” He agreed, and guilt flashed through his eyes. He looked at her shirt that was slowly turning crimson and wondered if the ambulance would’ve even made it in time, he guessed a major artery or vein was definitely punctured. The heavy scent of rust hung in the air, slowly being spread by the outside wind. He watched the life slowly drain from her eyes, her intakes of breath slowing down as time ticked by. He knew she was completely dead when her neck fell to one side, and just to be sure, he checked her pulse. He looked at her in the eyes one last time and whispered,

“Rest in peace, miss.” 

_______________

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry if you saw this before I edited the title and some mistakes, I guess it's different on mobile. Anyway did you know that losing 30% - 40% of blood can put you at risk of fainting? That's exactly what happened to poor Lilian. Although compared to an average human male, that blood loss would be nothing, for a 50-pound girl, a cup and a half of blood is plenty of blood. Ok, fun fact over, see you next chapter on October 21! (^-^)v


	18. Fever

Vroom… The engine hummed into a deep note as the car moved along the highway, driving alongside other colorful blurs. The cars that passed her seemed to move faster while the scenery shifted too fast for her to process. The “road trip” that she begged so hard for, now seemed dull. She remembers her friend Amelia telling her about the fun times she and her dad had, all the dad jokes and mini-adventures they’d gone on. Amelia’s mom had left her with only her dad, and _she_ was happy. She laughs, hugs her dad, has caring friends. So why? Why can’t _she_ be the same!? Why is it that she has to sit alone at lunch, admiring Amelia and her friends at a distance while they talked about fun playdates? Why is it that she gets a mother who doesn’t even say goodnight or good morning to her? Who won’t even kiss her on the cheek or check for monsters inside the closet? 

_The fake monsters don’t scare me._ she thought. Her mother was by far the worst monster of them all, her mother _manipulated_ her, and she knew it. She tried to get mad at her, but her anger would cool every time, she was frustrated with why that happened. She didn’t know if she loved her mom, but she had to, right? Amelia believed it, the teachers believed it, everyone believed it. So why does she feel a tugging emptiness every time she’s hugged?

Every time her mom smiles, it just doesn’t reach her eyes, it was as if she was holding something back, and she had a guess to what it was. And then she suddenly felt warm-no, hot. Very hot, like her body was burning herself from the side out. Her head pounded, and she instinctively covered her ears. Her forearm churned as if someone was pressing red hot coals onto her skin as it blistered and melted the layers, she could almost smell the sizzling burnt flesh. 

“Mom!” She screamed, but her mom just kept driving as the corners of her eyes filled darkness. “Mom!” She screamed again, blackness poured into the car. In a desperate attempt to receive help, any help, she screamed once again, her voice boomed the loudest this time. 

“Dad!” And then she jolted awake. Her breathing was uneven as sweat laced her skin. Jason loomed over her, saying he was concerned was an understatement. He pushed a bottle of water into her hand as she stared at it, what happened? 

“Where are we?” He raised his left hand in the air as he patted the space just under it, signing _below_. 

“Under the trapdoor?” He nodded, she must’ve seen the trapdoor already, he thought. He watched her take a sip of the water as she made a funny expression, did the water taste bad?

“What happened to Bella?” He stood there silently, he’d completely forgotten about that woman, the one that tried to take Lily away. He didn’t want that.

“I should go find her.” She shifted into an upright position as she began to get off the low mattress, unknowingly applying pressure to her wound. And then the pain shot up her arm like needles digging into her flesh. She grunted audibly as she tried to mask the pain, continuing to leave the mattress as she stood up. 

He stepped towards her, it already took a large portion of his self-control to not push her right back into the mattress. Shaking his head, he signed _no,_ and gestured that she should rest. She thought about it for a while, her arm did feel unnaturally warm. But just as she was about to agree, Bella’s shriek made itself clear in her mind. 

“I need to go find her.” He shook his head again, signing no repeatedly as she slowly got up. He tried gently blocking her at first, but she was resolute in going out to find her friend. That made him mad. Why can’t she just stay and rest? He took care of her, what did that woman ever do? Did she value that woman over him? And with that he stroke. He held her down by the chest, not wrapping his hand around her throat, although he could easily do so if he wanted. 

“What are you- let me go!” Her reflexes took over as she grabbed his wrist with both of her hands, trying to push him away.

Another image of Whitney forced itself into his mind, those sharp, heart-piercing words. His right hand was dangerously close to her throat now, she struggled as he pushed harder at her clavicles. Her nails failed to dig into his thick gloves as she kicked frantically, trying to throw him off. His eyebrows pressed deeply into his forehead, why can’t she just stay still? First, it was a sniffle, that steadily turned into sobs as he felt his gloves grow damp with her tears. It hurts, she thought as she continued fighting back, contracting her muscles as the wound threatened to tear. 

And for the first time in decades, he felt afraid. Afraid of losing his control and only regaining consciousness to find her motionless body spread out on the floor, wet with blood or marked with a deep handprint around her neck. His hold faltered, and she tried to bolt, only to be caught at the wrist. Her face came in close proximity with his chest before she knew it and for a moment the air smelled of restrained anger. He held her tightly as she squirmed, pushing, yelling, mixed in with occasional sobs. Very carefully, he shifted to holding her in place with one arm, making sure she could not break his hold even if she tried. She felt his hand move up and down on her back, knowing he was trying to soothe her felt even more painful for some reason.

“Why…” She didn’t finish her sentence as she laid on his torso, squirming a little bit to find a comfortable position. His grip didn’t loosen this time when she started sobbing uncontrollably, he wasn’t going to fall for the same trick twice. Expect it wasn’t a trick, and she was far too tired to fight him when her tears stopped. 

  
  
  


The shoveling of dirt seemed louder than usual, seemingly echoing throughout the space around him. His eyes held a cloudy stare as he threw the dismembered body parts into the grave. He made sure it was over five feet deep and prepared some rats to bury over the body after he covered it in dirt. It's not like he’s never done it before, he’s done it a few- no, plenty of times. He wasn’t sure what he was being motivated by anymore, sometimes he would just feel _so_ tired for no obvious reason. _Guilt,_ he remembered, that's what motivated him. What gave him the strength to let someone die, bury them as he suppressed the urge to barf. 

Sometimes he’d sit in his room, and suddenly the walls would look too white, the room was too silent, and the air just didn’t feel right. He would often think about his death, the panic attacks that came when he feared death, feared dying. It doesn’t happen anymore. He’s come to accept it, he’s not a good person. _Just like Ashley said,_ a voice would echo. Guilt weighed heavy on his shoulders every day, as he thought about how the event would have changed if he’d just _noticed._ If he’d just paid more attention to the kids, what they were doing, how they were doing. But he didn’t, and he’d thought he’d have to live with the guilt for the rest of his life. 

Then it changed. He saw a bloodied man crawl towards him on the grass, halfway past the property line. And he would’ve moved if it weren’t for the burning stare coming from the man with a sack bag as a mask. Dustin thought he was going to die. He pictured the sharp blade the man was carrying lodged in his heart as his corpse laid lifelessly. But the sack man just left him, and before his worry made him help the man, a morbid scene was constructed in his mind. He pictured himself just letting the man die, then burying him, as a twisted way to repay Jason, the boy he let die. The idea seemed logical at the time, but as he burned the body, he couldn’t help but shake with fear. What if the police found out? What if I get arrested? What would happen to my grandchildren? 

Helping finish off Jason’s victims alleviated his stress in a way, but just like everything, things change. The work became tiresome, and just before he thought about killing himself to end the guilt that was slowly trickling back, Lily came into the picture. He only saw a glimpse of her before worry filled his body, even after burying so many bodies, he did _not_ want to kill a child. He debated on going in the forest and escorting her out, but that idea was scratched due to being too dangerous. His heart felt lighter when he discovered Jason didn’t try to kill her, though he thought the blueberry trail to be a bit childish. 

The patch of brown seemed… _off_ as he stood back to check. A normal person may pass it off, but _he_ knew what was under there. Whoosh. A gust of wind reminded him of how cold it was, his numb fingers felt icy to the touch. Throwing the shovel back in the shed, he rushed into the warmth of his cozy yet lonely house. _Lonely…_ he didn’t like that word. That just made his skin crawl, like something was under it and he _needed_ to get it out. His fingers began dancing on his forearm as he scratched, wanting to get rid of the source. He was almost there when a sound made him jump. 

_Bzzt!_ His phone vibrated as the ringtone played loudly, he couldn’t always hear the sound. 

“Hello?” He composed his voice to sound more confident. 

“Hi, this is Mueller Hospital calling to inform you that your granddaughter, Whitney Miller requested to talk to you. I’ll put her on right now.” A happy tune played for a while before static came in and a voice became audible. 

“Hello, Dustin.” He did not answer, already knowing what was to come. 

“Why don’t you come and visit me this winter, you have nothing better to do.” He could picture her sadistic smile, the way her eyes narrowed as she awaited his answer, taunting him with that silky voice. 

“Of course,” He forced the joy into his voice, “How long would you like me to stay?”

“The whole winter.” his eyes widened with shock, the _whole_ winter? “You _can,_ can't you, grandpa?” Her voice took a small whine to it, it was as if she could see his blank face, _knew_ what he was thinking. _You know what she wants,_ a tiny voice buzzed inside his head, _you_ know _she’s using you._

“...Of course, Whitney. Of course.” He sounded more like he was reassuring himself, why can’t he find the courage to say no? 

“Then I’ll see you then, love you.” 

“Love you too.” He replied, the line had already been cut off, and she got what she wanted. _These are the types of things that happen,_ he thought, _the kind of things that happen when you get so lonely you’ll do anything to feel even the tiniest warmth. Even the fake ones,_ a voice whispered. His hand came to his damp face, already wet with tears, was it better to end it after all? He tried smiling, but the tears just ran quicker, he looked like those opera masks people wore. And with a chuckle, he started laughing. Not like the ones he used to share with his kids and grandkids. No, these involuntary laughs sounded psychotic, almost like the ones Whiney would burst into for no reason. He didn’t know what was so funny, but the laughing wouldn’t stop even after he choked for air. His tears taste salty, and the grandfather clock struck at least once before he became tired of crying. 

  
  
  
  
  


She laid against his huge form, she had stopped struggling a while ago and was getting tired. Her body grew increasingly hot by the minute as she struggled to pinpoint where the heat was coming from. First, she believed Jason to be the source of the heat, and then remembered the first time he hugged her. She recalled his touch to be cool yet comforting, and if she wasn’t in his grasp right now, she would be finding Bella. It became hotter by the minute, and she wasn’t sure she could take it anymore. 

“I feel hot.” She felt the heat spreading onto his body, it felt like a hot summer day. He had an arm wrapped around her upper torso, while his legs caged her own. “Can I borrow your hand?”

At first, he didn’t want to let go, she was like his beloved teddy bear, expect bigger and radiated warmth. He gently set her back on the mattress, a hand on her bicep in case she tried to run off again. (Granted, she wouldn’t get very far.) He signed why, and her eyes lazily looked at him as she said, 

“I’m really hot right now, your hand is cold. I’ll feel better if you let me borrow it.” He nodded and lent her his hand as she reached for it slowly. “Can I take your gloves off?” She attempted to remove his gloves once he gave consent, her mom once told her to ask before you act, to think before you speak. It was hard. Her small hand could barely cup half of his wrist as she tried to pull the leather gloves off. She heard his deep husky laugh again, this time it sounded more like a chuckle. 

“It’d be hard if you were me too!” She raised her voice as if she was angry, but the playful smile on her face said otherwise. 

He slipped the glove off easily, handing her his arm once more as she took it with both hands. She brought it to her forehead and placed his hand on it. Her forehead felt hot. Very hot. He had a feeling she was going through a fever, most likely caused by infection. He saw her eyelids flutter with fatigue, as her breathing became even. He pulled the blankets up to her chest and patted her head, wanting her to get some rest as she tucked herself in the blankets. Just as he was about to put the rubbing alcohol back, he felt a slight tug on his fingers.

“Can you stay?” She asked sadly as if he were leaving her forever. She honestly wouldn't be surprised if he chose not to, her mother never did. She tucked herself in every night. “You don’t have to,” She added, trying to chase away the increasing silence. 

He sat back on the ground, sympathizing with her, the loneliness behind those eyes. He waited for her to fall asleep, but she only stared at him nervously, like she was embarrassed about something. After moments of silent eye-contact, she finally asked, 

“Can I hold your hand?” He placed his hand next to her cheek without question this time, wanting to know what she was about to do. 

She caressed his hand softly as she snuggled her face against it, It felt cool and nice. She murmured a thank you before relaxing, she went to sleep peacefully. 

o~o~o~o

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda feel bad for Dustin, but hey you gotta do what you gotta do. I'm not sure if this story is interesting or if the plot is like moving or something like that, do you guys have any idea? If you do, feel free to leave it in the comments! Anyway, the next chapter will be on November 3rd, see you then! (-o-)


	19. Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know I said last chapter that chapter 19 would be uploaded yesterday, but I actually misread my calendar! It's every two weeks, so it's still a Monday no matter what, I'll try to make sure I don't mix it up next time!

She awoke to feel something soft and fuzzy in her hold, it reminded her of a stuffed animal. Sprinkles!? She thought as all the weariness evaporated from her body. Her sudden joy downed a notch as she discovered not Sprinkles, but a foreign teddy bear. She petted it gently as her hand came around a different texture. Looking more closely, she found threads of black around the bear’s neck, the stitch looked precisely sown. Looking down at her watch, the hands pointed towards nine and thirty-two. Thud, thud, thud. The footsteps whom she assumed to be Jason neared.

“Did you sow this?” She pointed towards the threads in the teddy bear’s neck. 

He signed yes, he was quite proud of that one. He was very careful in sowing each stitch, in and out, in and out. He handed her the granola bar he took from the duffle bags in her cabin, he wasn’t sure if she liked chocolate. She mumbled a thank you as the cold spread into her body. She felt as if someone with freezing cold hands grabbed her arm, a shiver ran down her spine. 

“It’s really cold down here, can we go up?” The clatter of her teeth increased in tempo the longer she stayed there, motionless and losing heat. He noticed this too, and she was surprised she didn’t drop the granola bar when he lifted her by the hips. He ventured into the dark tunnel without a lantern, Lily had to squint her eyes to make out the black walls and ground. The walk to the trapdoor was silent as she tried to occupy herself with the dull surroundings. She closed her eyes and listened closely, to the periodic dripping of water, the thudding of boots masked by the damp ground. Out of all the noises, she wondered why she couldn’t hear Jason’s breathing. Is he dead? She thought as she cleared that thought afterward. He can’t be alive if he’s dead! She tried to think of plausible reasons, she really did, but she couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that she _saw_ Bella stab him. And just before she was about to ask him, the blinding bright light from the outside forced her eyes shut.

He let her get up first, he forgot how cold it was down there, the decomposing bodies didn’t help. 

“Are you alive, Jason?” She wanted- _no,_ needed to know, she just couldn’t make room for it later. 

He shrugged again, not knowing if he could be classified as living or dead, maybe somewhere in between. He lifted himself out from the trapdoor only to feel Lily tugging on his fingers, asking him to bend down. 

She placed the side of her head against his hard chest as soon as he knelt down, he didn’t show any signs of moving. Silence. There wasn’t any sound that indicated he was alive, not even the sound of blood gushing within his blood vessels. 

  
“It doesn’t make sense…” She stood back, why didn’t it make sense? _None of it makes sense!_ She thought as frustration built up. She just wanted to run away, far from here, maybe Bella could drive her. She felt pressure in her earlobe, she just wanted things to go back to how they used to be! She didn’t care if her mom didn’t actually love her, she just wanted to go home! _But is that really your home anymore?_ The doubt in her mind asked, that high-pitched voice she always loathed, it was always negative. _What if she didn’t love you because you were a brat? A useless burden, didn’t you get the hint the first time she slapped you? Why don’t you-_

“No!” The first tear ran its course down her cheek as the others followed close behind, she was crying again. 

Jason knelt there, confused and worried, why was she crying? A tinge of guilt shot through him, was it his fault that she was crying? Was it because he was dead? Did she not want to be his friend anymore? He quickly signed a sentence, hoping it’ll have some effect, but her tears did not slow _._

“I-I miss mom… I just want things to go back!” She cried hard, she shouldn’t miss her mom, she abandoned her in a forest! But she just couldn’t feel the hatred she felt towards some people in the past, _why_!? She thought as the tears kept running. She tried to get angry at her mom, but every time she did, something would swipe it away. She felt hopeless as her strength weakened, “No one ever wants me!” She thought back to when her mom ignored her, “They-they never… I always just get in the way.”

_No,_ he signed, head shaking frantically, that was _not_ true. He wished he could tell her all the things she’s done for him. She took away his loneliness, taught him things no one would, stayed when everyone ran away, she was his friend. He could never forget the way she smiled at him when he first successfully made a daisy chain, when he played chess with her, all those invaluable moments where she’d just smile and laugh. _No,_ he signed again, trying to make her see- _understand_ that she _is_ wanted. _Please,_ he signed in desperation, but if she saw what he signed, she didn’t react.

She buried her wet face into her hands, not noticing she’d been lifted off her feet until she felt lighter than usual. She expected to see the hockey mask she’s grown so familiar with the past months, but what greeted her was a sheet of white. In her crying state, she failed to notice the opening creak of the door as Jason placed her right in front of the alluring white. Snow. The frosty wind didn’t bother her as she stared dumb-struck at the still falling snow, she could feel her tears lower in temperature as she stood there. She reached her hand out, waiting for a snowflake to fall into her bare palm. The little white delicacy felt cold in her palm, slowing melting as she stared at it in awe. The tears on her face had dried by now, leaving behind clear marks with a shine to them. 

  
Behind her, she heard the deep exhale from Jason, he was probably very worried just a moment ago. _I should apologize._ She thought, constructing a scene of her apologizing to Jason. _Okay, just do it!_ She turned around with a nervous smile on her pursed lips, trying to sort the jumble of words threatening to spill out at any moment.

“I’m sorry for crying suddenly… it was… really embarrassing, I’ll try not to do it again.” She tugged at her earlobe nervously as he tilted his head in silence, she wasn’t sure if he’d forgiven her or not. She was about to apologize again, before he swiftly moved her out of the way, walking into the snow-covered ground at a brisk pace. She stared at him for a full five seconds before following behind his crunching footsteps as she thought in confusion. _Is he angry at me? Was my apology not good enough?_ Before she could over-analyze the whole situation, he stopped. Her feet stilled not too long after his, she waited patiently for him to turn around and scold her despite being mute. She watched with curiosity as he bent down and scooped up a lump of snow in his right hand, molding it with his left. When he turned around, she didn’t know what to brace herself for, all she knew was that she was going to say something before a snowball landed right on her shoulder. 

Jason considered himself to be a pretty good shot, not just with a bow and arrows. He let out a laugh as she stood there still as a log before she processed what just happened. _No sorry._ He signed playfully as the glint in her eyes became clearer. 

“A snowball fight?” Jason took a stance that confirmed her suspicions. “Good luck!” She gathered her own ball of snow, compacting it tightly in her hands as he did the same. She threw the snowballed aimed at his stomach as he dodged easily, moving to the side. She ran to the side, forming another snowball as he threw his, it splattered across her chest. 

It didn’t take very long for her legs to feel tired, she was already huffing on the tenth snowball while Jason looked fine. She knew the score wasn’t in her favor even without counting, the amount of snow that hung on her sweater was evidence. Still, she managed to land a few hits, though he seemed to willingly take a fraction of them. 

“You won!” He heard her yell, she had a smile on her face. He stared at the snowball in his hand, he’s never won anything before. A flurry of emotion rose in him as he began to drift off into thought. The other kids at camp never invited him to play, and even if they did, most of them just humiliated him for not being good at it. The only games he could ever win was against his mom. Jenga, snakes and ladders, chess, he’s never had this much fun ever since she was… _decapitated._ A frown unconsciously formed underneath his mask, an empty feeling tugged at him while pictures of his mother flashed through his mind like an album. 

“Jason?” She grew concerned as she saw his hand land on his machete, he tensed as she called his name. Though his mask covered his lips, the sadness in his eyes told her he was frowning. She ran up to him, snowball still in hand as she asked what was wrong. He didn’t meet her gaze and only shook his head. _I should comfort him,_ one of her thoughts whispered, but as she inched her hand towards his own, she hesitated. _I should leave him alone, I’ll get in the way if I try to pry._ Her hand dropped back to her side, he was too distracted to notice. 

“I’m going to go back to my cabin, do you want to have a rematch later?” She hid her smile when he nodded, skipping past him as he looked back at her. Her smile gave nothing away as she walked back to her cabin, the snow fell silently behind her.

  
  
  
  


“Do you like it?” He watched her nibble the blackberry pudding, slowly working her way to the middle. 

She responded with a grunt, talking with your mouth full was bad manners. She scraped the glass bowl clean, the taste of blackberry lingered on her lips as she swallowed the cold pudding. The spoon looked almost polished after she finished, her stomach no longer rumbled with hunger. 

“Thank you.” She finally said after staring at the empty bowl. Dustin offered to grab something for her when she mentioned her hunger. She declined at first, she didn’t want him to walk too much or strain himself, but he insisted. And now here she was, sketchbook at her side as he looked at her.

“Did you the homework I gave you?” His eyes landed on her sketchbook as she thought back to yesterday. 

“Lily?” She snapped out of her thoughts as her frown thinned into a neutral line on her face. 

“Sorry, I did it,” She flipped open to the page where the lake laid. She watched Dustin silently as she observed him, waiting for a grade or review.

“Did you draw the lake black at first?” 

“...Yes.”

“I did that once too, don’t worry, it’s very common when you first draw a big body of water.” The heavy feeling in her chest lifted by a notch as he said this, a pinch of relief showed on her face.

“...And Lily?” He looked at the leaves that clung to the almost bare branches of the trees around them. “I’m going to be gone for the whole winter.” 

“From December to February?” 

“Starting tomorrow.” He must’ve caught the look of shock on her face, for he added, “I have some things to sort out before I visit my granddaughter.” 

She looked down at the snow that almost glowed and asked, “So no more drawing?” He looked pained to say it, but agreed, rebutting it with that they’ll continue to draw once he comes back. 

“You must really love your granddaughter.” He bit the inside of his cheek, not trusting himself at the moment. He only replied with a “mmh” as he stared off into the distance, towards his house that looked no larger than his head. 

“I hired someone to take care of my house while I’m gone, but don’t talk to him, it might be dangerous, okay?” She nodded, a new person huh? _Maybe I can befriend him._ She thought cheerfully, despite Dustin just telling her not to interact with him. 

“I won’t.” She lied, a little hello won’t hurt. 

“Promise?” She silently frowned, she can’t break a promise to a friend. She debated on whether or not to actually keep that promise.

“...Promise.” She finally said, the air around her felt cold again. 

“Looks like it’s snowing, we’d better head inside.” She agreed as she found her black coat turned white where she sat on the snow. Dustin didn’t wave her goodbye as she watched him walk away, _maybe he’s feeling sick._ She speculated. The crunching of the snow beneath her feet was quiet as she walked, she wondered why he had a gun concealed in his coat pocket. 

o~o~o~o`

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where's Dustin going? What is going to do? Why did he have a gun? You may or may not have some questions answered in the next chapter, which is coming on November 18! (Don't worry I triple checked it this time) Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions, see you next chapter! (๑╹ω╹๑ )


	20. Visit

“Right this way, Mr. Miller.” The nurse escorted him down the narrow hallway. As he followed behind him, staring at the short blonde hair, he could’ve sworn he saw a bloodstain somewhere on the ceiling tiles. _Stay calm, Dustin,_ he repeated in his head, _Just relax._ Mueller’s hospital was a building that radiated an ominous feeling, built back in the 1930s if his memory was still intact. Most of the patients it’s housed in its walls perished, though the newspapers didn’t specify whether it was due to natural causes or neglect. He suspected the ladder. 

“Here we are, you can just press this button if you’re in need of assistance,” He gestured at a round white button near the door, “Walk back to the front desk after you’re done talking, our visiting times close in three hours.” 

He thanked him as he walked back the way they came from, not looking back. He took a few breaths outside the door, mentally preparing himself for confrontation. _Keep a smile, Dustin, and you’ll be fine._ He stared at the silver knob, gritting his teeth, considering. He slowly reached for the door handle, almost unsure if he should just turn around. 

“Could you be any slower?” The voice sounded small, but he knew it wasn’t, most of the sound was just absorbed by the door between them. He finally pulled the door open, the familiar creak of his wooden door was absent. 

“Why do you always do this?” She wasn’t facing him but was instead looking out the only window present in the small room. The window couldn’t fit more than two heads, he wondered what you could even see out of it. She hasn’t changed, he noted, looking at her oily reddish-orange hair that shimmered in the moonlight. 

“Did you miss me?” Her white gown swayed as she walked to her bed, the side of her face hidden by locks of hair. “Do you know why I wanted you to visit me? I missed you.” She giggled innocently, “I’m lying, you saw through that one, didn’t you?”

He remained silent, his heart did believe her lie, even if only for a moment. Only a silly flutter of useless hope. 

“You always told me to not play with people’s feelings when I was younger,” She continued, “You hypocrite.” Her face was in full view now, the dark rings under her eyes stood out as it dominated her pale face. 

“...I don’t know what you mean.” He didn't, He really didn’t. He searched his mind for when he’s ever played with her feelings before, when he’s ever played with _anyone’s_ feelings before. If anything, _she_ was the hypocrite, though he didn’t dare say that. 

“You liar,” Her voice was laced with venom, “Where is my ring?” She saw his body go rigid, with fear or shock, she didn’t know. But one thing was clear, he _was_ lying to her, just as she suspected. When the silence settled over them, she saw the way his fingers flexed and relaxed, his telltale sign of remaining silent. She quietly scowled, she had to do _all_ the work. 

“Grandpa,” Her lips crept into a smile as she walked towards him, “You can tell me anything, why keep it from me anyway?” A part of her smile faltered when he didn’t react, only for a moment though. “Don’t you love me?” She looked at him with pitiful eyes, he turned his head away. “I’ve been so lonely, I don’t think the staff is too fond of me.” She faked a sniffle, turning her own head away, “You’ve always been there for me before, didn’t you promise to not leave me alone after Clay?” 

_Clay._ His deceased grandson. He grimaced at his name, glad his expression couldn’t be seen by Whitney. He felt his resistance to talk flake bit by bit as a pregnant silence stretched between them, he knew she was looking at him. 

“I didn’t promise you,” He finally said, gaining the confidence to look at her once more. “I didn’t promise anything.” Her face flashed a blank expression before a wicked smile washed upon her face. 

Something inside her stirred as instinct told her something about him changed, he never argued or opposed her before. _What changed him? No,_ who _changed him._ “So tell me,” Her voice sounded alarming sweet, “Who are you lying for?” She shuffled through a series of possibilities, he wouldn’t lie to her for just anyone. No, he wasn’t _that_ kind. So what? Who could be so important? 

“I… didn’t lie.” In a way, he didn’t. He didn’t know exactly who the ring belonged to, it was just in Lily’s hands as of the moment. “I don’t know who it belongs to as of right now.” 

“Don’t play with your words, Dustin. Give me a clear answer.” 

The silence threatened to squeeze the air out of his lungs, make him crumble to the smooth white ground. He listened to the hands of the clock above him tick, tick tock tick tock. He didn’t know what to do, his eyes stayed glued to the faded wallpaper, the greenish color stared back at him. He began to drift off as Whitney neared him, prowling towards him like a predator. His eyes glossed over, and before he completely lost it, a deafening voice snatched him back. 

“Who are you lying for?!” 

There was ringing in his ears. Her eyes pinned him to the spot, awaiting the answer he didn’t want to give. He tried to look away again, at something- _anything,_ but her. He failed. 

“...I’m sorry.” 

Her smile showed nothing as the gears in her head began to spin, process. The metal and iron scraped against each other as pieces clicked and dropped into place. _This person is more important than me to him._ She tried to reason against it, the screeching of gears echoed throughout her mind. _No,_ she argued, _Only for now, it will change,_ I _will change that._

“Oh, Grandpa,” Her eyes shifted towards the poorly concealed weapon, “Do you own a license for carrying a gun?” 

If the nurses or doctors of the hospital sensed something off, they didn’t bother to go investigate. 

  
  


:-:-:-:-: 

_That looks weird,_ she thought. She stared at the still life of Jason that laid in her hands, black and white and grey. She had asked him to be her model, to which he’d happily agreed to. _His left arm looks off,_ she noted, smudging the paper as she erased the sleeve for the third time. She silently wished Dustin was here, telling her what was wrong, what she made a mistake on. 

She popped open a marker as she made a red x, marking her calendar today as the twenty-second of January, not too long before Dustin returns from his trip to visit his granddaughter. She wondered how he was doing, was he relaxing right now? _Maybe he’s in a spa,_ images of his cucumber covered eyes slipped into her mind. 

The bright snow shined as she walked outside, waking up to see a sheet of white still took some getting used to. The snow made her shoes wet and cold as she walked, adding a layer of soft white to her feet. Crunch, crunch. The sound of shifting snow reached her ears before she could see what was happening. She peered through the bushes that obscured her vision slightly, not minding the touch of cold snow beneath her knees. He was wearing a red shirt this time, it made her eyes sting a bit as he shoveled the snow off to one side. 

She didn’t know what his name was, but noted that he always wore a black beanie. There were earbuds that played music she could faintly pick up, the bass beat was the clearest. Bun, Bun-bun, a few more beats went by. His head turned towards her direction all of a sudden, as if he knew she was there. 

She mentally screamed at herself, stuck in place with her overbearing thoughts. However, he then turned away, and started shoveling the snow again as if nothing happened. She exhaled without sound, her legs slowly backed away into the now white forest. 

  
  


:-:-:-:-:

  
  


He lazily strolled through the frozen landscape without much sound, the dense snow below him absorbed some of the crunches that he made. He looked around aimlessly as he tried to grasp any idea that could entertain him for a while. An image of him and his mother lit up, making him remember the times when she’d bake cookies for him, the cookies that would just effortlessly melt in his hands. The things he’d give up to taste them again. Honestly, the things he’d give up to eat _real_ food again. His tongue has grown accustomed to the taste of cattails, clovers, and just about any edible plant in this forest. Lily didn’t seem to like it a lot when he gave her some cattails, but she still swallowed it, even if she told him it tasted like very bitter cucumber. There was almost always some type of food in the bags that people carried with them, be it cereal bars, a lunch box, or just some fruits, but the plants he ate overrode them over the years. 

The close movement of snow prevented him from moving onto another thought as he readied a snowball in his hands. He was in the lead so far, winning with a score of thirty-three to fifteen. He used his hand to block his “score place”, the place he chose for if hit, the opponent gains a point. Shielding his masked face, he constructed an image of Lily’s score place, her ears. 

The first hit she managed to dodge, reflex barley failing her as she picked up her own lump of snow. The remains of snow were scattered across trees as they battled, her aim was slowly getting better. She readied her snowball firepower as she launched the attack, one went directly towards his face. She was about to celebrate before he blocked it with his hand, making a beeline straight for her. He threw it as he neared closer, hitting her ion the side of her jaw as she ran. He formed another snowball and raised his hand over his face protectively, expecting a counter. But as he lifted his head up, the rage buried deep in her eyes was impossible to miss. 

The moment the snow came in contact with her jaw was the moment the memory flashed, fury seething out of her. There was only one thing she could focus on while clutching the snowball in her hands, _Amelia._ Amelia had thrown a snowball at her once, _just for fun_ , she said with a sly smile plastered on that pretty face. Her hand had already acted before she realized what had happened. The snowball she threw was packed with the jealousy and frustration of the past months they’ve been friends. She had thrown it as hard as she could, and Amelia had told on her, earning her a spot in detention. 

The snowball that landed on Jason’s shoulder was hard. She felt a sudden spike in power, fueled by the once bound emotions she didn’t show, _couldn’t_ show. She was still angry at her friend even now, she realized as another blur of white hit Jason. She felt light as a feather as her body kept moving, shuffling through the memories of elementary. Hit, the rules that she had to follow or she’d get punished. Hit, when she got punished for doing something she thought was right. Only the distant crunches of snow could be heard now, make, throw, make, throw. It wasn’t until a firm hand clasped her shoulder that she stopped and looked up at his mask, her heart jumped erratically inside her chest. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” The compacted snowballs feel from her hands, “I forgot-I didn’t mean to hit you so hard and I was thinking about-” He only dipped his head and looked at her frozen hands, her fingers twitched in an irregular pattern. She squeezed her hand into a fist, the numbness made her feel like she had practically no hand at all. _What do I say now?_ She looked at his mask laced with snow, there was a particularly large chunk on his left cheek. 

“Did I hit you in the face?” _Yes,_ his signed, followed by a thumbs up. She looked down at the trampled snow, calculating her score before saying, “I have sixteen now, right?” Another nod was all it took for her to beam at him, her teeth shining as white as the snow around them. 

He brought her still frozen hands together, encasing them within his own for a while before he took one of her hand in his own. He silently urged her, _Come on,_ he thought in his head. She skipped alongside him as he walked, a warm feel sparked in the hand she held, it reminded him of when his mother would hum tunes as they walked. His skin felt the prickling feeling of warmth, and for the first time in decades, he felt human. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to decide if I should do fluff or angst in the next few chapters and honestly, I don't know. So I guess you guys will find out in the next chapter! See you on November 24th! (030)


	21. Teddy Bear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh, I gave the wrong date again didn't I? Feel free to rebuke me in the comments, at this point, I kinda deserve it.

His skin became increasingly aware of the painfully slow drops of sweat sliding down his neck. _You can’t hide it now_ . His grip tightened on the warm gun in his pocket, the material felt slippery in his loose hold. _Just do it,_ he was almost sure she could hear him grinding his teeth behind his closed lips. Her smile didn’t falter as her feline-like eyes stared him down, the wrinkles on his face sunk deeper. _Justdoitjustdoitjustdoit,_ he struggled to keep his hands from holding his head, it throbbed violently as different thoughts all tugged at his mind at once. It was like hearing the buzzing of thousands of flies and bugs. _Just kill her!_ It rang loud and clear through his head, his breath hitched sharply. 

“What’s wrong?” She walked towards him with one goal in mind. 

“N-No!” He jerked the gun out of its poorly hidden sheath. The gun felt wet in his hands, as if someone coated it in oil. His frown held a clear message for her as he tried to steady the shaking weapon. He managed to keep his head from shaking from side to side as he reprimanded himself about how he drew the gun. How he was aiming it right now. A shaky sigh slipped between his lips, he should have been more confident. Should’ve done something that would make him seem more powerful, more superior. His breathing did not calm as he waited for her to say something. A planned question, a cruel statement, anything, but she did not. Whitney stopped-no, _hesitated_ in her tracks and she seemed at a loss. He’d only ever caught calculation in those sharp eyes, the soft round ones before just… vanished into thin air after Clay’s death. Her eyes were always clear now, even clearer than before, sometimes he swore he could see the empty void in it if he stared long enough. 

Her foot halted as she stared at the black hole that a bullet could fire out of. _Could,_ she reminded herself, he couldn’t- _wouldn’t_ hurt her, right? _Right?_ Realization hit her like a brick wall, all the confidence she’d built up threatened to crumble at that instant. The gun was more deadly now, her toes curled at the bits of adrenaline leaking into her blood. No, not now _._ She couldn’t lose control now, she was so close to figuring out this irritating mystery. No, she _couldn’t_ let her emotions and primal instincts take over, she needed to push through. She ignored the distant prickling sensation of pain as nails dug into her skin _,_ droplets of blood seeped from the tiny cuts on her palm. 

  
“You wouldn’t actually kill me, right, grandpa?” The first drop of a warm teardrop traveled down her cheek, “I-I don’t want to die.” Her lip truly trembled at the thought, she was not ready to die, not yet. True emotions she’d kept locked deep within seeped into her words, she wasn’t sure if she was acting anymore. She cursed at the connection they had, she cherished it long ago, guarded it like a treasure. _You guys don’t even talk anymore, right?_ A voice slipped into her head, it sounded like a male, but that wasn’t important right now. It was true, she and Dustin have grown apart through the years, but the bond they had never severed, it was just… thinned. She still remembered his promise at that dark, horrid funeral. She could only see his chin through the ominously thick fog, but she heard the sympathy in his voice, he was her only comfort through Clay’s death. _Just stop being so stubborn! give me the ring, and it can all go back to normal!_ Her tears streamed faster at this thought, why can’t he just _understand?_ Clay’s coffin flashed in her mind, the slick black lid equaled the consistency of wet yet dried blood. The black liquid oozed into Clay’s corpse, he was engulfed by the foul-smelling substance. 

Dustin felt his arms go numb as his hands compressed the gun, it felt like it was going to melt in his hands. Yet he still managed to not let it slip and drop to the ground, still managed to point it at Whitney. _I don’t want to die._ Her words sent a boulder of guilt crashing towards him, pinning him down and crushing him. _What am I doing!?_ The gun lowered to her abdomen, his hand cramped with pain as he tried to aim it again. The guilt pounded on him again, _why are you doing this to your granddaughter!?_

“I don’t know!” He knew it was over the moment he registered his the still cool muzzle pressed on his temple, his hands felt less shaky. He saw the sparkling beads of sweat that covered his palm, his breathing slowed. He didn’t look at Whitney as he savored the silence and temporary peace. _It’s the right thing to do._ He wanted to enjoy this moment a little bit longer. 

She had to blink at least ten times before trusting her eyes again, the gun was no longer pointed towards her. No, it was directed towards him now, and his eyes no longer held the fear and hesitation they harbored before. Her heart raced as she envisioned Dustin’s coffin, a grey one with silver designs etched in its sides, similar to her brother’s as she watched it being lowered into the ground. Her body felt lighter as she sucked in a breath, her tears tasted salty on her tongue. She saw his hand twitch once through blurry tears, his wrinkled eyes brightened a notch with determination like hers. He was resolute in doing something, and all the clues point to only one answer. He was the last one. The last one to share her blood, her last living family. _He could not die._

She was not thinking as she lunged for the gun, jerking his elbow with a pop in a way it was not supposed to bend. The gun felt secure in her hand as she pushed him to the ground, she hoped he was not in too much pain. Her breathing did not quicken as she steadied her body, all the exercising she did daily helped after all. 

“Listen closely, because I won’t repeat myself.” He could only watch as she pushed the translucent white button five times. It glowed red before a dull alarm sounded.

  
  


:-:-:-:-:

  
  


“Hmmm,” Her voice was a mix of disappointment and frustration. Granted, the emotions were directed towards herself, not Jason. She stared at her knight accusingly, puckering her lips. If only she had seen his triangle tower tucked in the far corner, then she would’ve never moved her queen. Now that she thought about it, a lot of her pieces would’ve been saved if she had analyzed the situation more carefully.

“What’s this one called again?” She pointed towards his black piece with a circle on top, it could look like a toy soldier if she squinted hard enough. _B-i-s-h-o-p,_ he spelled. His hands were more fluid now, though she did catch a sliver of hesitation before his hand formed the letter h. Why was it called a bishop anyway? What was a bishop? It had the word hop in it, is it an animal? She stared dumbfounded at the chessboard as her thoughts pulled her away, a wave of a hand barely managed to drag her back into reality. 

“Uh, sorry.” She went back to looking at her pieces, trying to quickly see if it was safe to move her bishop. She could almost hear the non-existant ticks of a clock, the sound was clear and cut through the vast silence. She felt his eyes on her as she looked over at his knight, _two and over, it can’t capture my bishop._ Drops of self-consciousness trickled into her, she looked over at his queen while he followed her eyes. _Am I taking too long?_ Her finger started slowly scratching the uncleaned blanket beneath her, if she noticed the grim settling inside her nails, she ignored it. She withheld the urge to go back to her earlobe, squeezing her fist as she brought it up to her chin, feigning consideration. _It will be too obvious,_ she scolded herself harshly, she wasn’t supposed to let her opponent know she was nervous. 

She took in a deep silent breath as she lifted her left hand, deeming it clear as she captured his rook in one swift movement. The few silent beats that followed made her hold her breath before he made his move. He held no uncertainty, at least she didn’t catch any, his arm moved like a snake set on killing its prey. _As if you were the prey._ She retracted her hand back to her chest at this thought, why did she think of that? Her hand unconsciously moved to the cut on her left forearm, the red streak was tucked away on the inside. She was about to apply pressure before stopping, she could move it, but direct pressure would hurt. Her hand remained as Jason asked if she was alright with a tilt of the head, chin gesturing towards her cut. She brushed it off, telling him it was just a bit itchy. 

Her eyes stayed glued to the chessboard as memories of Jason holding her down crawled into her mind, she remembered not feeling well at the time. She recalled the way he held her there as if he knew exactly how to keep her down without much effort, the way his hand pressed against her shoulder hurt quite a bit. She resisted the urge to rub her shoulder, a prickling sensation settled there. _He didn’t mean to cut me,_ but she knew it wasn’t exactly true. Although he had not meant to slash her, she did see the intent behind his eyes, they were a cold blue. She recalled that moment somewhat fuzzily, she was truly afraid of him at that moment, the cold and sharp machete that cut into her flesh gave her a sensation of what it would be like to be impaled by it. 

She shuddered, glancing up at the black sockets that carried the pale blue orbs, relieved to find that they were staring back at her warmly. She smiled half-heartedly, what she was doing now was being “paranoid”, as her mom would call it. She lifted her pawn as she examined the black and white squares, would her mom be proud of her now? She knows how to play chess and learned how to draw, she made friends that won’t leave her. She eased her breathing as she tried to form a picture of her mom’s smile, anything happy. _Get away from me!_ The image of her mother’s crumpled form on the ground made her finger jolt, the pawn dropped to the board with a clink. 

He picked it up and placed it onto the white square for her, noticing her lips were pressed into a thin line. It was his turn to move, he thought as he looked to the right, her bishop took the place where his rook once stood. He took more time to make his move, his mind drifted towards Lily’s behavior during the chess match. The heavy snow roared outside as he contemplated, did the wound become infected again? No, nothing was leaking from it, and her face did not falter when she placed her hand on it. He moved his queen, locking her knight in place unless she wanted to lose the game. He watched her eyes moving from piece to piece, picturing how it would affect the game in the long and short run.

A smile tugged on his lips as a cool proudness rushed through him. Although she was far from beating his score in snowball fights, she was getting faster. Her legs would shoot her away from the snowball as she tried to throw one with all her might, she’d have a better chance of surviving than those adults he killed. He shuffled through the countless pleas and curses they’d say before they died. Their loud footsteps, jagged breathing, the thing they’d always trip over when running away. Speaking of tripping, a lot of them would scream. Sometimes he’d wonder how they even hit the insanely high notes that exceeded a piano’s highest keys. 

“Checkmate?” She saw her possible win right after he moved his queen, leaving his king bare and vulnerable to her other knight. His head turned to the game as she calculated how his pieces could move, he was in checkmate, right? He didn’t seem as bewildered as she was before he gave her a subtle nod, followed by a thumbs up. She blinked two times, _just like that?_

“Aren’t you going to...say something?” _Wait, he can’t talk._ “Um, sign something?” He stared at her in silence, she could detect his narrowing eyes even with the mask. Her face grew warm as she realized what she sounded like she was suggesting, she stammered to get her words out. “I mean like say you were tired or you’re usually good at this! Not for you to....praise me or anything.” 

He stayed unmoving as he processed this, he wasn’t expecting either the first nor the second option, nothing of what she thought she’d asked him to do. In fact, he was expecting her to ask him for tips or strategies, though he didn’t think he’s learned enough hand language to explain it to her. _I’m not a sore loser,_ was what he was about to try and sign before he stopped, he was no doubt a sore loser. He remembered brooding for hours after losing against anyone, even against his own mother. He didn’t feel the warm rush of anger bubble inside him when Lily won, it was more of surprise and satisfaction, he was glad she was getting better. _Praise…_ His mother used to smile and pat him on the back when he did something well, maybe he should do something similar, like... His hands started moving before he had to apply more force to the claps, sound didn’t transmit the best when you’re wearing gloves. 

As his applaud became louder, she sank deep into her memories, specifically of a cartoon she remembered from her early childhood. A ballerina danced to a sweet tune, she couldn’t quite recall the melody that came after the first portion of the song. The roaring of applause emitted from the TV as it filled the seemingly grey living room she sat in, her mother was absent on the wooden stool that stood under the table. She had always had stage fright, though her teacher thought quite the opposite, she would always have the brightest smile on stage. She didn’t have the guts to tell her teacher her jaw muscles would involuntarily contract, that her smile was unnatural if you looked more closely and how it would hurt her mouth sometimes. It was why she never wanted to say anything at sharing time, if she didn’t see their pressure-inducing faces, her forced smile would never arise, and her false identity would never live long enough to form. 

She smiled at him full-heartedly, though she sensed a tinge of melancholiness she hoped he didn’t catch. She dumped the black and white pieces into the red felt sack, they glistened lightly inside the dark hole. A wave of fatigue washed over her although it was only half-past seven, she could fight this tiredness, she decided. She shuffled through some questions she could ask to open small talk, what was a good topic? Well, she didn’t know too much about him, so maybe she should start with that.

“Do you have a name for your teddy bear?” She felt a little bad for the stuffed bear, it was probably feeling lonely and cold in the dim basement. She watched him ponder as he came to a conclusion. _No,_ he signed, there was a dash a disappointment in his eyes. “Then let’s name them together!” She jumped off the stiff bed, the floor felt cold below the soles of her feet. “Let’s go visit them!”

He hesitantly followed her, a foreign feeling stirred inside him as drops of confusion poured into the mix. Why was he unsure in his own house? He lifted the trapdoor and stepped below first, reaching for her carefully as the trapdoor closed with a soft thump. He was about to toss her torso onto his shoulder before he reminded himself that she did not like being carried like that. He silently crafted ways to carry her as she looked up at him expectantly, she was too small to be carried with both his arms. He considered lifting her at the hips, but that didn’t seem comfortable. _Whitney didn’t like that._ He scooped her up in one arm as he made up his thoughts, this seemed to be the most comfortable position. 

Her head lay against his chest as he cradled her there, his fingers brushed the pivots where her legs bent. The increasing coolness pestered her to no avail, her jacket shielded her small warmth. 

She brought a hand to his torso as she prepared to jump to the space next to his workshop, to which a firm hand held her back. _It’s too dangerous,_ the shake of his head seemed to say. She thought it to be fair as he lowered her slowly, he stopped just above where she could touch the ground before lowering her again.

She grabbed the teddy bear as the frost sunk into her skin, the cold made the soft texture of its fur stiff. “Is your teddy bear a boy or a girl?” She decided it could be both after he shrugged. “What about…” The names of characters from books she’s read before popped into her mind, she had quite the box of names to choose from. “Florence?” She blinked twice as he considered. “No? What about… Fluffy, since it’s soft and fluffy?” 

She continued listing off names as he shook his head, Charlotte, Boris, Rose, Nicholas. She lost him somewhere between the twelfth and fourteenth name, his thoughts wandered to his stomach, of his favorite treat his mom used to make. The smell would reach his nose before he’d be running to the kitchen, patiently waiting for the cookies to bake. The sweet scent would follow the freshly baked goods out of the oven as he’d reach for one, to which his mom would swat away his hand, saying, “You have to wait, Jason, you don’t want to burn your tongue, do you?” And so he’d wait, eyes never leaving the cookies as they cooled, the taste of cinnamon would always linger in his mouth. His nose breathed in, expecting the smell of spices as cool air greeted them, he looked down at Lily. 

“Did you hear me? What do you think of Mary?” _Not Mary,_ he thought as he tried to call upon the name of the cinnamon snack, why can’t he remember? 

“Then what about-” She caught his hand moving unsurely, it appeared to sign and S.”S… sne-ker? Do...dle?’ A few beats passed before she talked again, bemusement lined her voice as she spoke. “Snickerdoodle? Like the cookie?” He nodded excitedly as she became even more puzzled, how was this relevant to what they were currently doing? “...What about it?” He pointed to the teddy bear after her question, her mouth took the shape of an oval as she understood with an “oh”. “Okay then! Their name is Snickerdoodle!” She handed him the teddy bear that had grew warm in her hold, he felt a little bad, his cold hands were no doubt going to freeze the bear again. It’s fur felt distant in his gloved hands as he held it, nonetheless, the memories it housed did not fade each time he gazed upon it. 

“So, why did you want to name it Snickerdoodle in the first place?”  
  


:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for giving the wrong date again! I hope you guys knew that I gave the wrong date right off the bat and didn't wait for another chapter on the given date! However, if you did, consider this chapter sorta an apology? I mean, I did make it a bit longer than usual, so... Anyway, thanks for reading, criticism is welcome, and I will see you in the next chapter on December 16th! (Don't worry this time, I triple checked it)


	22. Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive!

The splotch of scarlet made his eyes squint, yet he still looked at the dark color as he pondered silently. The petals of the carnation felt soft to the touch as he brushed it, but the color didn’t match Lily’s personality. 

He moved onto the next one as a certain lily caught his eye, and he would’ve reached for it, if not for the fact someone else snatched it before his eyes. The woman cast him what he made to be a look of slight pity before walking away. He supposed it was his fault, after all, his bruised arm made his attempt at reaching wobbly and unsteady. 

“Excuse me, but do you happen to have another batch of white lilies that are still available?” The young employee guided him through a few sections of vibrant flowers until they reached a shelf specifically for lilies. 

“Is it for your wife?” The employee asked with a smile.

“No, it’s for my friend.”

“Oh,” They walked towards the patch of white flowers as they swerved around other customers. “If you don’t mind me asking, why lilies?” 

“I guess it reminds me of them.” The wide smile never left the employee’s face as they walked away, and his lips twitched up involuntarily, smiles were contagious, after all. The white lily felt softer than a lambs ear, for it was smooth in a warm way, a little like butter. He could almost see Lily in the flower, for it was purer than fresh snow. He reminisced about their memories together for a moment longer before he took the flower and went towards the register. The clear plastic that wrapped around the flower crinkled loudly as he walked to his car, and he could almost hear her soft voice, as if speaking louder would upset some unseen force. 

He stopped at a gas station before noticing the defect on the flowers. A smudge of brown tainted the lower end of the white petal. A shiver suddenly vibrated down his spine, as if someone had stepped on his grave. His finger twitched, but still held the flowers—they seemed darker now for some strange reason. A part of him wanted to storm back to the floral shop and demand a refund, but his mind urged him not to, he was simply too tired. 

His eyes lazily drifted off the countless lights, stop signs, and road signs that directed him where to go as he drove in a trance-like state. Right, a lane over, where was he headed towards again? Whenever he tried to direct his line of thoughts elsewhere, they would always loop back to Whitney. His hold on the steering wheel tightened at this, _don’t think about it_ , he told himself. He didn’t notice the humid insides of his armpits dampening his shirt while he drove, but was it for better or for worse?

:-:-:-:-: 

The white snow was slowly altering into a dark shade of soot-black as the spell of December faded, and Lily was not a fan of it. The dark chunks of ebony black stood out like a sore thumb in the glistening snow, and the chunks were harder, too. 

People were starting to come back now that green grass patches spread steadily. She remembered hearing footsteps and mistaking it for Jason’s, only to realize that there were actually two pairs of footsteps. She pretended not to be affected, but she shuddered when she saw him carry the bodies away, the shock and pain on their faces planted guilt deep in her stomach. 

She felt like she was keeping a secret, in a way, but not like those girly small secrets that people made up to be big. No, it felt like she was hiding something terrible from someone, and that someone would never forgive her if they found out. she felt like a bottle, and the feelings were the contents being poured into her, threatening to erupt once she’s filled past her capacity. 

A few more drops tricked into the bottle as she thought of this, it was all so depressing, so much so that she wanted to go back to the cabin and take a nap. _Maybe he’ll let me borrow Snickerdoodle._ She started walking as she thought this, maybe she could make Snickerdoodle’s fur softer with water or something. 

Laughter erupted nearby, and she automatically turned towards the cheerful sound, it was near the not so pretty log trail. She crept towards the sound even though Jason told her not to before, she was getting very curious lately. 

“That’s so funny!” She caught a peek of a girl in a yellow long-sleeved shirt, her mouth was wide open and turned upward. She guessed the person next to them was also a girl because of the voice she heard, but she couldn’t exactly see the other girl. The girl in yellow nudged the girl next to her, and they whispered something Lily couldn’t hear, though she strained to listen. The chirps of crickets were clear as their whispering added to the nature choir, like a mysterious beat that didn’t quite belong. They both laughed again, and Lily couldn’t help but feel a tinge of jealousy slipping into the bottle, a tiny, purple drop that mixed in with the rest of the colors. 

“Did Lauren tell you that?” The girl next to the yellow girl asked, and the yellow girl merely shrugged. The conversation stopped as they changed the subject to the view before them, a soft silence wrapped around them like an invisible blanket. 

Lily shifted positions to try and get a better look at them, slowly edging towards the bush nearest to them. She was going to get there, but just before she could duck behind the bush for cover, the girl in yellow turned and looked directly at her. 

She wasn’t sure what her expression was, but if she had to guess, it was probably something resembling being caught in the act of, say, stealing a cookie from the cookie jar. 

“Who are you?” The girl in yellow asked, and she could feel suspicion build up the longer she took to answer. 

“I… live on the farm near here, but I got lost, so...” She _thought_ her lie was convincing, but the woman in front of her didn’t seem to share her opinion. Then, after a few seconds, the woman beside the yellow one turned around. She was beautiful, with her long locks of gold hair, doll eyes, and full lips. Lily blinked a few times before she could move her glued eyes off of her. 

“Do you need help going back? Your parents must be worried.” Her voice was even better. It was smooth and sweet like honey, and Lily felt her shoulders relax as she talked. 

“My parents just think I’m playing in the forest, I usually go home pretty late.” She walked closer to them, and the strands of blonde hair framed the stunning girl perfectly. “I just need to go home before dinner.” 

“Well, I’m Ellie.” The wind swirled a little around her hair as she spoke. She gestured to the girl in the yellow, and said, “And this is my friend, Toriel.” 

:-:-:-:-:

Maybe it was her imagination, but Toriel felt her uncertainty rise as they shared lunch together with this girl, Lilian. She picked at the sandwich’s crust as she eyed the girl, she seemed nice. That was the problem. She _seemed_ nice, but Toriel didn’t know that, and she hated not knowing things. Ellie happily chatted with her, and they were both smiling, but the girl’s smile was suppressed, and while she got to know Ellie better, she would not offer any of her personal information. 

“Hey Tori, did you know that Lily and I both celebrate our birthday in May?” Ellie smiled wide as she said this, she looked like she wanted her to join them. 

“Nice,” She moved to grab a book from her backpack, since she didn’t really feel like indulging in their conversation from bugs, to Ellie, and then food. She skimmed words and flipped pages, but she listened intently to their ongoing conversation, acting as if she was totally immersed in the book. 

Eventually, she succumbed to the book, though she was tempted to start at the beginning again, as to not continue reading while missing the expedition. Her finger hovered over the page as she read, her eyes stayed stuck to the black text. She didn’t know why, but after page thirty-two, she didn’t feel like reading anymore. Instead, her skin crawled as her head jerked towards a pitch-black space framed by pale green leaves. The space between the landscape looked unnatural, and the chill didn’t dissipate as she looked around. She looked at several other black spaces and shadows before turning away, but when she glanced back at the original spot, her eyes tricked her into seeing two holes that were even darker than the shadows around it. 

“Hey Tori, want some water?” Ellie’s voice pulled her away from her wild goose hunt, she was just tired. Tired of parents that won’t tell her anything, and parents who wanted to control _her_ life. She shrugged the water off, she wasn’t in the mood for it. Her eyes stared at the trees that were closer to them as she pondered, while looking back at Ellie every so often. She thought back to their first kiss, and how it was very awkward, with it being more of a lip smacks lip than anything. They became better at it, eventually, but they still laughed and teased each other afterward. 

She peeked out of the corner of her eye again to look at Lilian, nothing changed. She didn’t try to get Ellie to leave with her, and no one has popped out of the green bushes that surrounded them. She went back to her book, it somehow became duller as she thought about her actions and thoughts earlier. She has always been very paranoid, even Ellie said so. A soft sigh left her lips as she recalled the glares and dirty looks she’d cast towards her, she hoped she was too busy talking to notice.

_She’s just a kid. For goodness sake, Toriel._ She snatched the bottle from Ellie’s backpack, it wasn’t cold anymore, but the cool water still freshened her dry throat nevertheless. 

An hour flew by just like that, and Toriel was growing tired of the book. Luckily, she didn’t have to make the first move, because Ellie said, 

“Well, we came here to fish, so we’re going to go do that, you might want to go back home, the sky gets dark earlier in spring.” 

Lily told them she’d wander in the forest for a little longer as she watched them disappear towards the lake, the water was still cold as ever. She skipped on the broken specks of once neat trails and roads as she thought about Ellie, she was unimaginably nice. Her honeyed smile only complimented her brown eyes, she was just so pretty. 

Her legs bounced up and down on the grass as she hopped in the green grass, she didn’t think Toriel really liked her. Maybe it was the weird aura that radiated off her, but Lily was pretty convinced Toriel flashed her a few sour looks while she chatted with Ellie. _Was I being annoying?_ It wasn’t hard to come to terms with that, nobody liked people who kept asking questions. Nobody liked her. “Why do you keep asking these stupid questions?” Her mother would say, and she’d avert her gaze to the floor, biting her bottom lip as she told herself not to ask stupid questions again. 

She kept following the slightly obscured trail as she thought, and her silly questions would only multiply. She was still walking and trying to not question things when a hand gripped her on the shoulder, halting her in her steps. 

She looked up to see Jason, and she called out his name, only to be greeted with a look of disapproval. She felt invisible pressure hold her down, and immediately wished something would interrupt them. Anything would do really, a deer would be nice.

“I’m sorry,” She kept her gaze focused on his own as she tried to sound as sincere as possible. “But it just gets a little lonely without Dus- duh, uh-people.” She tried not to look at his darkening sockets, but she couldn’t pull her eyes away. “I… I’ll try not to do it again.” 

He frowned in disappointment, and he knew she could sense it even with a mask in the way. Try, that was the problem. Throughout the last few months, Lily had talked to three of his victims and grew attached to them. She developed sympathy too easily, to the point where she’d beg him not to kill them. It hurt every time he had turned her down, but it was his duty, and he could not fail his mother. 

He sighed silently and removed his hand from her as he looked at her with a tinge of empathy, saved specifically for her. His empathy was much like a switch, in the sense that he can choose when and whether or not to turn it on or off. In the beginning, the switch had a glitch that would randomly turn it, but now he has complete control. At least he thinks he does.

His hand landed on her head with a gentle but firm pat, and he had an odd urge to play with the dark strands of hair that stopped just below her shoulders. Maybe he could ask her later. 

“So… What are you going to do now?” He regarded her question with care before crafting an answer, what he responded with could affect her mood for the next few days. He remembered the first time she had gone on brooding, and how it was impossible to drag her out of it. She ignored him for three whole days; only replying in short answers when she absolutely had to speak. She was like a balloon that was overinflated almost to the point of bursting, and the safest way to handle her was to let her balloon let air out by itself. Those three days were tormenting as he watched helplessly at her bitter mood, praying she wouldn’t hate him actively for the rest of her life. 

He mimicked the act of shooting an arrow before holding up the number two, that was the fastest and most painless way. He pretended not to see her looked sadly down at her feet as they fell into a natural stroll, like so many times before. He offered her his hand and she held onto three of his fingers as they walked, coldness seeped into his palm through his gloves. 

“...What if you get hurt again?” She didn’t want to say it, but the question _what if you died again?_ hung at the tip of her tongue. “I mean really hurt, like when that guy, um, stabbed you in the neck.” 

She still wasn’t comfortable with the fact that Jason can seemingly rise up from the dead with no consequence whatsoever, and just continue what he was doing before dying, with all of his thoughts and memories intact. Granted, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, since she would be devastated if he had somehow forgotten her when he came back to life. 

_It’s all so complicated._ She wished she could pour her bottle empty and start over again, and while her first thought drifted towards crying, for the past few months, it had been eluding her. It was like her tears were stolen away and she had to do something to get it back, but no magic dreams or visions came to her. 

She stopped moping over her inability to cry as they reached his cabin, and instead felt a hint of relief upon seeing the familiar door. The grass smelled the same as she walked toward the entrance, but her legs came to a stop when she noticed the absence of his shadow. She turned back to see him not having moved at all, and couldn’t help but feel slightly defeated when he only watched while his eyes silently urged her to walk into the cabin. 

It took a surprisingly large amount of effort not to glance back as her gloomy shadow kept her company. 

:-:-:-:-:

The forest shielded his presence expertly as he prowled towards the sound of shifting water. He moved silently through the grass and ferns as he regarded the two figures. He pictured breaking several bones in the woman in yellow, simply because he saw the harsh glares she had thrown towards Lily. Surely, Lily noticed them, and she’d definitely want revenge. 

The clouds in the sky stirred above him as it darkened into bright orange and purple. He revised his plan multiple times as he watched the two women fish and chat, the air was filled with laughter while their feet dangled and stirred in the water.

The forest was shrouded in darkness now, and he was growing tired of waiting. His clutch on his machete tightened significantly for just a moment before it loosened again, and he could almost see the wet blood coating the blade— almost _smell_ the so potent— 

“Lily?” He ducked behind a tree, curse him, he was too distant, lost in the bloodlust of the hunt that he forgot about the kill. “It’s really dark, you should be home!” The voice that beckoned him to show was soft and smooth. He felt something invisible tugging on his pants and decided he needed to make haste. 

He knew where they were, he just didn’t know how well they could run or defend themselves. From his own experience of killings so far, most of the women would scream and run, though some may fight. The opposite also applies if not for the fact that although men run, more would stay and fight even when their morality would be prolonged if only they had fled. That’s why Jason almost felt bad for the pretty girl when he impaled her friend through the shoulder. _Pretty?_ He was aiming for her heart, but it seemed that the woman in yellow had some grasp of self-defense, for she struck him right in the liver the moment he swung the machete at her. 

He recoiled slightly at the heavy blow, and his right side throbbed with pain as he struggled not to clutch it. As he regained composure, she struck again, this time in his crotch. Instantly, he bent over and felt a wave of nausea pass over him, and he felt like his insides were very soon going to become his outsides. He was still groaning and holding onto his abdomen when they ran, in which direction he didn’t know, the pain overrode his logical and observational senses. When he finally stood up, fully coherent, he decided he was going to do a lot more than break a few bones.

:-:-:-:-:

Toriel didn’t feel the excruciating pain in her left shoulder, but if she did, she kept running. Her right hand held on tightly to another hand sweating as profusely as hers, if not already drenched in sweat. She wished she could stop and think about what happened, what to do next, but she didn’t have the time, _they_ didn’t have the time. Her legs moved back and forth so fast that she didn’t even notice the discomfort in the soles of her feet—the pebbles and rocks that punctured her skin, leaving a bloody spotted trail behind them. _That’s not good_. But she did not stop to think, her legs kept moving. 

She was running towards her car, but she didn’t know where it was, only that she wanted to run towards her car. The trees only grew denser, so it didn’t matter anyway. It wasn’t until there was a considerable amount of spacing between each tree that she sensed eyes latching onto her. And they didn’t belong to Ellie. 

She didn’t dare turn around as she quickened her pace, her feet tapped even quicker and harder on the ground. She was pulled back. At first, she thought they were done for, that the man had caught up to them, but she did not see any glint of a weapon nor a mask dotted with red. The force that stopped her was none other than Eillie, who looked completely exhausted. She panted non stop, mirroring her own breathing pattern as they stared at each other. 

“We, we can't stop, Ellie. We need to keep going.” Her throat constricted in protest as she pushed out the words in between huffs of air, her body felt like electricity was rushing through it. 

“I will. Just… let me rest, just a few minutes, I promise.” That sounded so nice right now, but Toriel knew it wasn’t the right time, for the heavy footsteps that were once faint were only getting louder and less distant, each thud echoing after another. 

“Please, Ellie, please! Just a little bit more, don’t you feel him getting closer?!” She cupped Ellie’s shoulders in her hands as she tried to drag her up, but her weight felt so tremendously heavy, and with the sting in her shoulder, it was impossible. She called upon the quickly dissipating adrenaline that still flowed through her arms and legs, the adrenaline that suppressed the sting in her shoulder, and finally lifted Ellie.

She dragged Ellie’s limp and uncooperative body along with her as she tried to keep an efficient pace, but it seemed impossible. Time passed by in slow motion as they lugged away from the forest before Toriel spotted what looked to be the fuzzy outline of a house. _“I… live on the farm near here, but I got lost…”_ That was what Lilian had said before. 

Her hand would’ve loosened, even relaxed at this discovery, but she had ears for a reason, and the footsteps she heard this time weren’t phantoms or shadows of her paranoia. Ellie noticed them, too, and the slumping of her body told Toriel all she needed to know. But she wouldn’t give up now, not when her body felt like shutting down and resting, not even when her girlfriend gave up all hope. She looked to the outline of the house as her overworked arms supported Ellie’s weight, and with all the strength left in her, she screamed as loud as she can.

“ _Lilian!”_

:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello fellow readers! I apologize deeply for my absence on ao3 for the past however many weeks, and I am sorry to tell you guys that the updating schedule from now on will be a little unstable, maybe every three to four weeks. You see, finals are threatening to kill me, and I wish to maintain my grades, so while Lily of the Valley will still go on, progress with most definitely decline. It was an honest pain to finish this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it! Special thanks to strawberrylips for his/her comments, they helped me push through and write out the last 500-700 words, so thank you! Until next time, (whenever next time is) I wish you all a happy new year and merry late christmas! c( ⁰ 〰 ⁰ )੭


	23. Childish Fantasies

Panic overtook her as her palm slid off the rough tree branch with no warning, and within seconds, she found her rear bursting with pain as she lay on her back. Her arms supported her as she stood up again, but the repercussions of the fall did not leave her. She supposed climbing trees in the dark was not recommended, not even when you were bored out of your mind. She could already _feel_ the annoyance that would radiate off of Jason’s eyes when he checked her for any injuries, and god forbid he finds even a scratch. 

_Lilian!_

She looked around but saw no one who could’ve called her name, no sign of anyone or anything. She was going to dismiss it, it not for the strange lightness in her chest. It surfaced suddenly, as if she were sliding down on the big fall on a steep slide. _Go!_ Her body screamed at her. _Hurry up!_ She turned in a random direction before starting to run, a shiver ran down her spine. She tried to cast away images of Jason’s mutilated body—this time, drenched in blood or missing a limb. She pictured a scene similar to last time where he laid on his side, the way his fingers twitched, the blood— _stop_. She ran even faster now, and only wished she would make it in time. 

:-:-:-:-:

Toriel’s legs did not cooperate and instead decided to go limp and leave her vulnerable as the man pursed restlessly, his footsteps thundered through the few trees surrounding her. She tried to stay calm as she pushed all the anxiety and frantic thoughts that pushed against her mind, begging to be let in. _What do I do?_ She kept repeating the question over and over again in her head as she dragged Ellie’s body towards the house. The footsteps seemed even louder now, as if her paranoia were amplifying the volume each step projected. _Hurry up!_ She didn’t know if she was thinking to herself or someone else, but she still glanced at the shelter in the distance, hoping to see a figure or a shadow that could be interrupted as Lilian.

Toriel became more aware of the weirdly numb feeling that sprouted from her shoulder, it was becoming hard not to notice the sense of not having a left shoulder at all. 

“Tori, I’m scared. I’m really scared, I don’t know if—”

“Not now, Ellie, just keep going.” She stopped momentarily and pointed in front of them, “See that house? We’re gonna get there, so let’s hurry, okay?” She didn’t move from her spot as she looked at the blood trail behind them. _Just like Hansel and Gretel, huh? Maybe he won’t see it, they’re just droplets,_ she reasoned, but she knew the distant crunch of thin snow proved otherwise.

“Tori?”

“Yeah, let’s go.” She took the lead again as her breathing quickened once more, but Ellie fared better this time, and she started to see faint brown sticks that looked like fences. 

:-:-:-:-:

The wet mud made sloppy sounds as she ran, it splattered all the way to her knee. She didn’t pace herself this time, not like her daily lake exercises, four laps in total. She recalled just running all out and resting for large amounts of time before Jason offered her some advice. The memory of his last death flashed vividly through her mind as it acted as a boost to her slowly depleting energy. 

_His arm lay crooked and bent at the elbow, like a broken marionette strung up with blood as strings. She stood still as she stayed behind the forest’s camouflage, watching the man beside his body pant._ No, _she saw Jason sign, but she couldn’t turn away, it was enticing in a morbid way. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there listening and watching the man’s breathing and bulging eyes, but it felt like someone froze her feet to the spot when he spotted her._

_His eyes were still wide, but they seemed to enlarge even farther, and she was surprised they didn’t just pop out. However, that was the least of her worries, for a tightened clutch of the machete in his hand was all it took for all the flags in her head to raise. She urged her still frozen feet to move, but they felt like heavy ice cubes that stopped her blood flow, like they were_ trying _to kill her._

_“I—” But she never finished, since as soon as the man took a step forward, he fell. Someone else took position right on top of him, wrenching the machete out of his hands. She watched the blade puncture the man’s throat as he made wet gurgling noises that reminded her of her own gurgles she did while brushing her teeth. The saliva she swallowed felt slow and acidic as it slid down her esophagus, there was a lot of blood before her. There was so much blood to the point where it was almost unbelievable to think that he merely jabbed him in the throat._

The dark forest came alive before her as she finished reliving this memory, she didn’t think she would ever forget any of the gore and carnage she’s seen. She always remembers, eventually. 

“Tori?! Toriel! _Toriel!”_

She arrived at a sight that was truly disturbing, bright crimson stained the ground, highlighting the grass around it as it seeped into clumps of snow. But that wasn’t even the worst part. The top half of Toriel laid against Ellie as the lower half was blocked from her view by the tall form of Jason. She could see the top half her corpse clearly, and it was revolting. Blood continued to ooze from her freshly cut torso, and bits of white bone stuck out in the dark as her intestines lay spread out on the ground like saucy noodles. Lily hugged herself tightly as she took this in, she felt her nails digging into her triceps as Ellie screamed Toriel’s name hopelessly. 

Jason wasn’t swayed in the slightest as he ignored the too familiar scent of iron and salt, it never bothered him even from the beginning. He walked towards the girl that trembled while holding the top half of the woman’s body, she was having a hard time accepting that her friend was truly dead. Although the woman he presumed to be Toriel faced a painful death, her friend would receive a quick one, right through the heart. He drew back his elbow as he prepared to strike, right through the—

“Wait!” He stopped at her voice and looked to the woman’s face, relieved to see a pair of brown and not blue eyes. He then turned to face Lily, not the woman he was about to kill. His eyes darted to the openings around them, there were two to the right and five to the left. Lily couldn't run very fast, even if she gained a quick adrenaline boost. No, she wouldn’t be able to outrun him, in the dark with limited knowledge of the forest. _But I don’t want to kill her,_ he thought, and he had to close his eyes to stop analyzing her chance of escape. _She’s my friend._ The words swirled around his head a few times before his bloodlust cooled, though the effects were far from fading. Ghostly tendrils of his strength seemed to coil and evaporate along with his lust for blood, and he took a deep breath. 

Her heart pounded in her chest as it bounced around, trying to keep her from falling over and passing out. _Say something!_ A pregnant pause stretched between them for who knows how long before she was certain her voice wouldn’t come out as a whisper. 

“You, you don’t have to kill her, right? She… I know she’s a good person!” The scab on her earlobe had yet to recover, but her fingers could care less at the time. “Can’t you let her go? Please?”

_Please,_ a word he had grown so accustomed to hearing that it was a second reflex to ignore it, along with the rest of the words that followed. He struggled to not walk towards Lily and hurt her somehow—break a joint so that she couldn’t interfere. He shook that thought away as promptly as it surfaced, the blood must be influencing him somehow. Something he did must’ve given away his inevitable answer, his stance or the way he saddened look he hinted at, because Lily squeezed her earlobe harshly. 

His eyes twitched at the pain she was causing herself, she was doing it more often lately. He hardened his expression as he turned away from her pleading face, enough was enough. The woman was still clutching the sliced half of the torso as she shook, and he could only interpret one message from her eyes: _Kill me._ The honed blade cut through her stomach with ease, and he pulled it out just as swiftly. The woman then collapsed forwards onto her friend, and her blood intertwined with the darkening liquid around her. 

She watched as the forest’s grassy and minty smell became spoiled by a foul rusty smell, and couldn’t help but look at Jason with spite. The bottle that was barely half-full only today was already bursting, and the main color was a dark red that coincidentally resembled blood. Two more black drops trickled their way in and disappeared within the burgundy mixture. The cork ruptured with a pop. 

“ _You_...” It was as if the vapors around her were being filled with the contents of the bottle, setting a mood. The tension around the air was thick like the consistency of honey, but there wasn’t an ounce of sugar in it. Through the unseen particles of her emotions, she saw a patch of brown step towards her. Without hesitation, she fled into the thick forest for comfort, not looking back to see the pained look he wore on his face. 

_You..._ it echoed in his head endlessly, who knew one word could hold so much weight and cause him such pain? The way Lily looked at him cause even more anguish and grief to him, it was as if she viewed him as a monster. _But I am a monster_ , he told himself, and no amount of weird fantasies can justify that. He hated the way she looked at him, it was shattering. He knew he should go find her and apologize, but what good would that do? The women he’d just killed wouldn’t come back to life, and he certainly wasn’t going to hold a funeral for them. 

He sliced at the ground as the blood ran off his machete, adding to the vast puddle of scarlet. He met the eyes of the torso’s face, but no sympathy came out, not even a single drop. He tried again with the other body, but nothing. He didn’t feel the warm fuzzy feeling he felt when Lily was with him, the way her fingers would heat up his hand. Pity and sadness didn’t show either, like the times when he’d see the jagged line of pink, lingering on the inside of her forearm like a bad memory. 

_I know she’s a good person!_ He wished that could influence whether or not he’d kill someone. If only he could evaluate people who treaded into his camp and determine if they were good or not, but that was unfeasible. With all his years of observing through bushes and trees and rocks, he could never tell if a person was truly good or bad. He’d see someone throw away their trash, only to say lewd words and disregard respect for others. If only there was only a scale that existed to measure a person’s goodness. Even then, he’d still debate on who and what to listen to. 

The blood was close to umber brown now, solid chunks could be found floating around in the clotting mixture. The night contributed to the weak shine around the rims, the large puddle could be mistaken for a small water spring. Gaps between the trees altered into voids as the sky lit up with night stars, as per usual. Speaking of usual things that followed routine, he started trotting his way back to the cabin. While the forest wavered on the edge of sleep, he reflected on his actions and continued to fail to comprehend the concept of killing depending on a person’s good or bad. The intricated thoughts swarmed in his head the whole way back.

:-:-:-:-:

She was glad the usual wetness of tears did not sting her cheeks, but also frustrated at the fact that she couldn’t cry. The bare branches that held little to no leaves provided no shades for her to rest under, but the evening covered her well. The moon that glistened above her illuminated her blue eyes and face, absent of tears. Her arms wrapped securely around her knees and imitated the feeling of being hugged as she closed her eyes, listening for something. Her hopes of hearing the footsteps she’d grown so accustomed to did not show, and she was left with the unique sounds of fireflies and insects. _Jason would give me a hug if I asked,_ her arms compacted around her legs more at this thought. 

“He could’ve just let her go…” Crisp air flooded her lungs and blackness poured into the holes and spaces around her. _And then what?_ A harsh voice replied, a voice she grew so used to being lectured by. _Do you think she’d just walk out of the forest and forget everything? Life isn’t some fairy tale, Lily._

“You’re wrong.” Her voice came just below a whisper, as if it was trying to hide from the other possibilities. “You’re wrong,” She repeated, but the sadness welled up inside her seemed not to suffice, for she just sat there, with no supply of fresh tears. She imagined Ellie running out of the forest and then… going to a doctor’s checkup, then she’ll be fine. The voice waited for this very moment, for right after this thought, it spoke. _Fine then, feel free to indulge in your unrealistic fantasies, be my guest._

_I don’t know what you’re talking about._ She kept thinking, and for short amounts of time, it seemed to work. In truth, the only thing she didn’t understand was the word indulge, it sounded too fancy for her. Skimming the sticks and other things within reach, she picked out a pinecone and a crooked stick that was still somewhat straight. She placed them on her stump as she laid back on a tree, reflecting on what her subconsciousness said to her earlier. _I will indulge my very awesome fantasies, thank you very much._

“May I indulge you, Anna?” The imaginary pinecone said this while gesturing to a stick—they were both dressed in elegant clothes dyed black. What did indulge mean, anyway? The question was left unanswered as she immersed herself in the pinecone and stick’s dance. Even with scrawny stick limbs, they still twirled and spun, just like the picture books. She could still hear the soft melody in the background as she imagined them dancing, while her eyes closed and she leaned back on the tree behind her. The soft music appeared to lull on forever as she slipped away from consciousness. 

:-:-:-:-:

Critters left and right scattered as his footsteps disrupted the otherwise peaceful night, shuffling from place to place wherever he stepped. Some raccoons gave the impression of not being affected at all and instead continued to do whatever they were doing before he passed them. His breathing grew uneven and more detectable the longer he ventured on, but the source of these causes did not come from fatigue. Panic replaced the blood in his body rapidly as he ran, searching for any sign of life that was bigger than a fox. An angry grunt left him as he thought back to when Lily had run away, and how he should’ve trailed her to make sure she arrived back safe and sound. He should’ve known she wouldn’t go back to they’re cabin, after her controlled outburst, that was common sense. But he didn’t, and now he has to find her before the dark and frost of the forest consumed her. 

He reached the lily patch but saw no one in sight, the lilies themselves weren’t even ripe yet. He shook his head with frustration as he thought hard about where she would go. _What if she just went back to her former cabin?_ That would make logical sense, and all the running he did would be for nothing, but he didn’t buy that, not even for a second. She wouldn’t want to sleep by herself all over again, and Snickerdoodle was still in his cabin. He was sure the conclusion he drew was right, but where then, could she have gone? The thought of leaving the camp came and went in a hurry, now that’s just stupid. He racked his head for any place Lily might’ve developed a fondness for, and backgrounds shifted from place to place. Finally, he caught a valid lead and left the unbloomed lilies alone with the chill night air. 

His shoulders physically slumped when he saw her figure lying against a tree, and he signed hello in the dark, altering her that he was there. When she didn’t respond, he became very concerned, to the point where he rushed to her side immediately. His fingers were unsteady when he reached to shake her, as dread flickered in his eyes. _No, it can’t be…_ He could almost feel the tears that were about to abandon him, until a drawn-out snore turned his attention away from breaking down and crying. 

He was so relieved she snored in her sleep, because her waking up to find him in a sobbing mess is definitely not ideal. He touched the back of his hand to her cheek and estimated her temperature while coming up with ways to lecture her later. Oh, the things she made him do. She wasn’t warm, but she wasn’t extremely cold either, so he didn’t think anything was wrong, though longer exposure surely would’ve proved otherwise. 

As gently as he could, he lifted her body onto his arm, her only sign of protest was a little twist of the head. Her legs dangled as he walked, he was tempted to lend her his coat, if not for the evident smell of iron that won’t come off. He quickened his pace after a while when he felt her body heat fading, and the grass swayed lightly as he sped walked back to their cabin.

:-:-:-:-: 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What would you do if you were in Jason's shoes? I have another proposition to make, fellow readers! From now on, I will slow down on plot to kinda give the characters more "feel', so the pacing is going to be a bit more mellow now. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them down below, and if you don't, until next time! v(°∇^*)⌒☆


	24. Cookie Club

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! I forgot a few paragraphs in the beginning! Sorry if it was confusing, but now it's all fixed!

The first thing Lily remembered feeling was discomfort. It felt like being enveloped in jelly, but not the squishy, jiggly kind. This jelly was mean and slimy as she squirmed, looking for a cool spot. The heaviness of the jelly didn’t help either, it trapped and dumped the heat onto her like sticks adding fuel to a fire. Her limbs struggled to roll and wiggle, but jelly would not yield, and her tolerance was thinning. Finally, she had enough. With all her piled-up annoyance, she pushed as hard as she can. Flump. The sound of slumped blankets folding atop one another was quiet but evident, and heat still managed to radiate off of it. The blankets were to one side now, but the hotness in her cheeks did not leave. She counted how many blankets were stacked upon one another as she laid there like a human heater. The hot tower held at least five blankets, all with different colors and even patterns on a few. 

She waited, but the heat barely toned down. The cool air of the basement fought to drive her foreign warmth away, but they eventually mixed, and the air felt weirdly sticky. She imagined an ice pack on her face, but the imaginary pack did little to cool her down. She turned her head at this, and the solution presented itself in front of her eyes. The heat seemed to weigh her down as she trudged to Jason, whose hands were occupied with something. She got closer, and found that his hands were caught up in a complex knot that looked a bit tangled. There were two other ropes that were placed off to the side, and their bruised sides were all she needed to see to know they were failed attempts. She watched his hands shuffle to make a loop but go back to where they were before, then backtrack a step or two. She lost track of what he was doing after another twist, but she decided to wait for him to finish. Her eyes scanned the walls of the room as she waited, and they were bare, like always. 

_Hello._ He signed after he waved in front of her, his head tilted to one side. She wanted to ask if she could borrow his hands, but a memory stirred as she pieced together the words. _“I’m still mad at you.”_ She wanted to say, but her lips didn’t budge. The more she thought about it, the more silly it seemed. _Nothing would change,_ she concluded, all the while she gawked back at him. 

“Can I use your hands as an ice pack?” He gave his hand to her, and she placed it right on top of her forehead. It was like walking into a freezer after running a mile. Her forehead grew increasingly cooler as the back of his hand became warm. “You’re like a big popsicle.” She shifted his hand to her cheek, “Expect you don’t melt. I think you’d be… blue raspberry flavored.”

He wasn’t sure why she was telling him this, did it mean she wanted to eat him? Should he be worried? He waved it off as she started to pull away from his hand, it felt all warm and tingly now. 

“Why did you put that many blankets on me?” She glanced back at the mattress lying on the floor, the mismatched colors of the blankets looked funky against the dark walls. He pointed at her, then imitated shaking from the cold. “Did you think I was going to freeze to death?” She smiled at the idea, until she saw the serious look in his eyes. The memories came tumbling onto her as she felt her just cooled cheeks flare up again. “Oh...right. ...sorry…” She smiled sheepishly. “Well…” She scanned the room for anything that could help her, the pile of things, the white wheel, what else? _There!_ She skipped over to Snickerdoodle, who was hiding beneath the lump of blankets, it must’ve been suffocating! 

“I’m going to go upstairs and play with Snickerdoodle while you work, okay?” She slid out the opening into the dark, and within seconds, she was gone. 

His fingers picked up the various knots that littered his desk after she went away, and suddenly he didn’t feel like tying them anymore. He couldn’t hear her footsteps that would usually echo if she were to wear shoes, but that didn’t bother him. What bothered him was the fact that Lily didn’t ignore him or wear a pouty look. In fact, her words sounded quite friendly, as if yesterday was nothing but a daydream of some kind. _Maybe she just got very good at hiding her feelings,_ but that didn’t add up. _Or maybe…_ he paused in search of the right word, _she accepted it._ Does that mean she won’t look down on his actions anymore? ...No, that would be approving. His weight bore into the chair as he leaned back, _this does count as an improvement_ , he concluded. 

_You’re an idiot,_ his voice held no hesitation as it talked back to him, and his hand snaked around his machete as he squeezed it without mercy. _Don’t you see? She’s only_ adapting _to her surroundings!_ An unwanted memory surged up at this thought, and he couldn’t help but replay it again, knowing the aftermath that followed. The last thing he saw before diving into the memory was the tight knot in his hand.

_It had been four in a half weeks since her first arrival in the camp, and she was doing quite well. She stopped her childish sulking and succumbed to thirst after a day or two, which was good. Her screams stopped after a week or so, and he was glad. What didn’t stop, however, was the way she looked at everything everywhere, like a small rabbit searching for a place to hide, a place to run. He ignored them well at first, but after week three, they grew more frantic. She didn’t bother to hide her stares at certain objects she no doubt wanted to bury in his head, or the looks she cast towards openings to freedom. The low, scratching noises that bounced off the wall became louder, and she merely glanced at him when he caught her trying to break her chains._

_It was the middle of week four when everything reversed. She showed absolutely no sign of planning an escape as she became more obedient. She didn’t glare at him or scowl when he stared at her, not even scream when he directly touched her._ Maybe we’re finally making progress! _The hope inside him fluttered at this thought, and his actions changed as well. He started making sure she was always stocked with water and food, even if that meant crossing into that old man’s territory. He always left some cattails for him on the line of the territories, he wasn’t a thief after all. He beamed whenever she’d speak, even if they were just barely lines and not directed towards him. Her voice still sounded strained and scratchy, no doubt from the days of screaming, but it was soothing to hear nonetheless._

_He rewound back to every happy moment they seemed to share, no matter how little. The little moments he’d take to admire her features, some similar and some different to his mother. The little thank yous he’d receive from time to time. And the most treasured one, her smile._

_Her fake smile._

_The smile she wore on her face that day as he handed her a bottle of water was soft. He almost couldn’t believe his eyes at first, was she truly smiling? At him? He should’ve seen the forced wrinkles near her eyes, or the nervous tilt in her body language, but he didn’t. His fondness for her overcame the observations he’d make every time he looked at her, and everything dispersed. His trust, her, everything._

Ring! The bells that hung on the ceiling shook erratically as they echoed inside the room. A snarl of annoyance left him, can’t he reminisce in peace? He tilted his head as he looked at the last row of bells farthest from him, that was the east side towards the lake. Why would anyone be here at this time?

:-:-:-:-:

“Hup!” The toy box she found in Jason’s room stayed glued to its lid as she pushed with no avail. She already set the book on the ground as a table, she just needed more guests for her show. “What do you think I should do, Snickerdoodle?” The bear lay against the bed unmoving as she asked this, but she decided to let him be. Snickerdoodle was shy. She looked back at the toy chest, and a smile burst from her lips as she spotted the lock placed dead center in front of the chest. 

“That… makes a lot of sense.” The smile was still plastered on her face as she slid the sliding lock open, and the lid lifted with a weak groan. Dust mixed into the air, and she turned her head away to avoid the grey particles. Inside the toy chest was a cluster of many things that were tightly compacted together. She saw the chess board she and Jason would often play on, it was pressed into one side of the chest with no wiggle room whatsoever. 

The things in the chest took effort to shift and squeeze through the tight spaces, but she managed to remove two boards and one stuffed animal after five minutes. So that was progress. Toys laid sprawled across the floor as she dug out the contents of the chest, and in it, she found two companions for Snickerdoodle. The pink bunny felt like it was made of the same thing they used to fill bean bags, and Lily heard the contents stir as she placed the bunny to the side. The other one was a fox that was missing a leg, it couldn’t balance or stand on its own without its hind leg. 

“...You can be..” She stared intently at the beady black eyes of the fox as she contemplated, what would be a good name? _Gingerbread!_ She settled on naming all three of them a type of cookie, they would be called the Cookie Club. She sat across from Snickerdoodle as she placed Gingerbread to her left. Biscotti settle on her right, and the stage was almost set as she prepared to perform. 

:-:-:-:-:

“It was him!” Gingerbread’s tail whipped around as she said this, her eyes piercing into Biscotti’s. “He stole my recipe! I know it!”

“Now, now, Gingerbread, let’s not point fingers here. Why would I want your recipe in the first place?” Biscotti shook his head as his pink ears flopped along with the motion. 

“Well, you keep snooping around trying to better your recipe, so there’s your motive. And Snickerdoodle too nice to do anything bad, much less commit a crime!” She looked at Snickerdoodle with sympathy as it remained quiet and watched.

“But Gingerbread, I was taking care of my sick grandmother while you were sleeping! And, it takes over two hours to get to your house, how would you explain that?”

Gingerbread weighed Biscotti’s words with care as she took this into consideration. It _was_ true that it took over two hours for Biscotti to get to her house, but what if _he_ wasn’t the one who directly took it? She analyzed his body language, his ears were relaxed and his eyes didn’t give anything away. Not to mention the pleasant smile that never left his face as he looked at her innocently. 

“And how would I know you are telling the truth? Do you have an alibi?”

“My grandmother was—”

“Your grandmother says she was _asleep,_ Biscotti. Which means she is an unreliable alibi.” Biscotti opened his mouth to talk, but Gingerbread beat him to it. “Want proof? I have these papers that prove my words are true.” For a second, she saw Biscotti’s smile falter, but he hid it right after by curving his head. 

“I never doubted you, Gingerbread. I just… have some proof of my own.” 

“And what would that be?” Biscotti was definitely stalling, and gingerbread was having none of it. 

  
  


“Well… you might not like it, Gingerbread.” Biscotti knew he’d drawn this out long enough, and anymore would just be digging himself a hole. Although he’d failed to anticipate the papers Gingerbread had shown, the conclusion was going to end the same. Before the fox sitting across from him could start cursing, he pulled out a piece of paper. 

Pointing to the picture on it, he said, “These were the footprints found outside your house on the day your recipe was stolen.” His smile stretched across his face so wide he thought his cheeks would explode. “And if I’m not mistaken, these are the footprints of a bear.”

Gingerbread’s eyes flew to Snickerdoodle as Biscotti finished, and—

“Jason?”

He made up a triangle with his fingers as he looked at his messy room. Two of his small books sat on a large book surrounded by Lily and three stuffed animals, and from what he could tell, Lily was having something similar to a tea party. Except there were no cups nor tea. He heard the different voices she weaved and acted out through the walls, and she seemed fairly immersed in it. Her voice went from a deep to a normal one with a kick to it. He thought she was acting out a detective play, and although it predictable, it was enjoyable to listen to. He wanted to keep listening to her talk to Snickerdoodle, but every second he spent here was another wasted on the other side of camp. 

“More people?” He nodded, Lily was a quick learner, needing no more than five days to learn the shortcuts he used instead of acting everything out. 

“Do you want to maybe play with me when you get back?” He nodded twice. 

“Okay!” She set his stuffed bunny to the side as to make space for him. “I’ll wait here for you!” 

He didn’t respond this time, but she knew it was just his way of communicating. It could be hard to tell her what he wants a lot of the time, even with limited sign language. She waved at him as he turned around, and then she was left in the comfort of the Cookie Club.   
  


:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alrighty! I looked back on my work and received some advice here and there in the past few weeks, and I've reached a conclusion. The story is going too fast. At least, too fast for what I have planned... (insert laughter filled with malice) Another unfortunate news is that MomoMochi is no longer my Beta-reader, they also has some issues that they needed to sort out. Anyway, things are going to go a little bit more mellow, so although plot will be present, it's going to be more spread out. I hope you guys are alright with that. Until next time, see you!


	25. Doodles!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings, readers! This is not an official chapter, but it does contain valuable info, so please read it!

So this is basically what I imagine the characters of LOTV to look like. (Please ignore some of the drawing mistakes, drawing is hard.) Anyway, I wanted to tell you guys that I will be going back to my past chapters and rewriting them a bit, since now that I look back, the cringe is making my eyes hurt. So while I do that, I will update this chapter with more doodles while I rewrite so that way you have something to look at while I work! 

Here's a small chunk version from part of the chapter, Teddy Bear! I think I might draw Snickerdoodle next :D

Okay, so I just remembered that Lily has dark brown hair, so from now on I'll shade her hair a bit. Why do I feel like my sketches are better than my actual drawings? Don't worry guys, I will upload a new chapter in around the next week and then I'll go back to editing past chapters!

Okay, quick sketching skills activate! Whitney has orangish hair, but I don't use color, so you can't really tell. Dustin kind of looks like a girl in the lat panel, is that just me?

The comic panel I posted before wasn't very good, so I hope this on makes up for it. As always, thank you for sticking with me on this fanfiction!

They're off to make some flower crowns! Don't worry guys, the next chapter will be out this weekend! Also, stay safe and be careful of COVID-19!

I kinda like evil saw Lily, you know? Don't worry, Lily probably won't say what picture two says she would, especially to Jason. Next chapter's coming in around two weeks!

I've sat on rocks before, and to be honest, they don't feel nice to sit on. Next chapter is coming soon!

Now this is a doodle I'm quite proud of!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure what my next doodles will be about but you can influence them! If you have any requests, comments, or questions, feel free to ask! Until then, see you next time!


	26. A Cool Dip

The frosty bite of January has long gone since the arrival of February, though some snow still remained, shining as bright as ever. 

“La, la la la…” A high voice guided him through the east part of the camp, and he walked slower as he followed the humming. Even with his years of experience, the growing trees and misguided paths still leave him confused from time to time. The low humming grew closer, and he kept wondering what anyone in the right mind would be doing amidst trees and half-melted snow. 

Strands of dark black caught his eye as he readied his machete, but then his victim turned around. She wore a blank expression that surprised him at first, but it wore off as he recognized her face. Anger rose in him as he matched her face with the name Bella, Lily’s so-called friend. He had a strong desire to mutilate her face beyond recognition, but he knew it was impossible. He didn’t bother hiding anymore as he rose to his full height to which she had no reaction to. 

He regarded her with a look of annoyance, as if conveying the message, _are you done?_ She didn’t move, and he sighed. It has been quite a while since his last ghost, who was just as a nuisance. Ghosts, why did they exist anyway? _Thankfully,_ he thought, _only the_ really _vengeful ones come back._ If he knew she was this determined, he would’ve given her a quick death. That usually ensured they wouldn’t come back. How long do they usually take to disappear? He scratched his head as he tried to think, two weeks? He remembered a short male he killed before that lasted at least two months. 

_Well,_ he turned around as he prepared to return to his cabin, _this was going to complicate things_. He started to walk away, before his machete was suddenly jerked out from his sheath. He turned around quickly. Now, standing in front of him was Bella with his machete, and she did not look like she wanted to talk. 

:-:-:-:-:

Creaks followed after his footsteps as he walked into the kitchen. He opened a packet of a boxed meal and microwaved it. The buzz of the microwave filled the silence as he waited, and the popping sound started after thirty seconds. 

Ashley’s—or technically speaking—Whitney’s house, felt empty. Even more empty than his ancient house, which was filled with nothing but necessities. There were knick-knacks throughout the kitchen that all belonged to Ashely. Ashley’s beanie, her salt holder, a duck trinket, and much more. The random decorations that littered the house had the opposite effect of what a welcoming atmosphere. Whitney was too obsessed with this idea of cherishing her mother’s memory, and he didn’t blame her. Everyone he knew was crazy in some way, it seemed. 

Ding! The yellow light that radiated from the microwave dimmed, and he opened it with a pop. The food didn’t smell special, nor anywhere close to making his mouth water, but it was still food. He had some trouble as he tried picking up the mashed potatoes with his still-healing arm. The pale green beans burned his tongue as they made contact, and he spit it out as the burn registered. 

“Just like old times.” He sighed as he relived through his memories of college food burning his tongue. He wondered if Lily noticed his delayed return, would she care? _Who knows,_ he was never the best at reading people. How did Whitney become so good at it?

_“So what do you think, Whitney? She’s a funny woman, no?” His mind flashed an image of her pretty black curls as he smiled involuntarily. He set some egg tarts on the table and sat opposite to Whitney._

He looked towards the same table with a red cloth hanging over it. It was curious to find it still intact after so many years. 

_“She was lying, grandpa. She just wants the benefits that come with being your girlfriend.” She held a bored expression as she said this, that woman was too obvious._

_“...Haha...Whitney, dear, what do you mean?”_

_She picked up the yellow egg tart up as she bit into it, while some crusty flakes fell into her lap._ Dustin must be in denial again, he’s been doing that more often lately. _“She doesn’t think you’re that funny, and you’re not very attractive, so there’s only one conclusion.” She wanted to add more to her analysis as she chewed and swallowed, but it would take too much work._ And besides, _she thought quietly,_ I’d have to keep telling him over and over. 

_“...I see…” His appetite for the sweet snacks that laid in front of him suddenly depleted, and he could only watch as Whitney devoured all six egg tarts without pause._

He poked sadly at the boxed meal as he ate, slowly this time, as not to burn his tongue. He hoped Lily wasn’t too worried about him. 

:-:-:-:-:

She finished viewing all the games in the toy box before Jason came back, and decided to make some improvements to her remix of the show. She set some fake foods on the makeshift book table while swiping a badge off of a shelf. 

“I’m a police officer!’ The badge shined with a faint glint as she put her hands on her hips. She stood in this position for a few more moments before giggling in satisfaction. _What do police officers do normally?_ An imaginary light bulb dinged above her head as she strode over to the book table, the “bable”. She sorted out all the donuts and foods that resembled a donut to one side, and began talking.

“My favorite donut is chocolate, but glazed is good too!” She faked a frown as she peered down at the donuts. “Actually, all donuts are good. All donuts are equal!” She heard the applause from her stuffed friends and was determined to continue.

She examined the plastic foods as she put a fake banana in the middle of the donuts. 

“What!” She gasped loudly, and the stuffed animal’s eyes all turned towards her. “It’s an imposter! This banana is a spy from the healthy kingdom!” Speaking of bananas, she was growing a little hungry. 

She trotted down to the basement as she grabbed some chicken. It was cold, but the sauce on top of it tasted good. She walked back to the trapdoor as she snacked on the dry chicken, but soon discovered a problem. With her current height, it was nearly impossible to lift herself _and_ the chicken up there safely. It was either her or the chicken. _Sorry, chicken._ She wanted to share with the Cookie Club, but she figured they didn’t really need the food. 

The wait for Jason was long, and she grew tired of waiting. She had been waiting for over two hours! She rolled around on his bed as she waited, and the urge to go out nagged her as she rolled around.

:-:-:-:-:

“Mmph!” He grunted as she wrenched the machete into his abdomen, pulling it out with slight twist. Blood started leaking from his wound, but his shock helped him ignore it. How in the world was she holding his machete? He stumbled back, but quickly regained his composure. _Think, Jason. What are the three main rules?_ As he thought, the memories poured back into him.

Number one, ghosts can only touch the things they’ve touched while they were alive. He had to keep thinking to recall number two, while he felt another sharp pain at his shoulder. _Right,_ he remembered, Bella had killed him with his own machete. 

Number two, Ghosts can be seen by people. In a way, it was helpful in the sense that it lured more people out, but there were also side effects. He couldn’t let her see Lily, for there’s no telling what would happen. He didn’t have time to think as he moved on to the next rule, both his shoulders were numb now.

Number three, they cannot interact with you or, for example, walk through a wall. Bella herself could not harm him or anyone else, but with her newly acquired machete, he was in for quite the ride. 

He could not feel his legs now, and although a part of him hoped she’d be stupid enough to leave the machete, he knew she was far from naive. He watched her walk away painfully slow, as though taunting his immobile state. However, it was not anger he felt, but instead, irritation. He knew she would disappear sooner or later, but going out of her way to make his life harder was just petty. He silently waited for his body to heal, and soon, he could twitch his arms and legs. He stretched as he stood up, getting the machete back won’t be hard. 

Splash! His body went rigid with denial as he hoped she didn’t do what he had thought of. He ran as fast as he could to the lake, and to his horror, his machete was there. At least twelve feet far and floating on the lake, it lay flat and swayed as waves shuffled around it. The nerves this woman had! Oh god, what was he going to do? He sent her a long hard glare as he tried to act indifferent—it didn’t seem to work.

_It’s okay_ , he told himself. _I just need to find a really long stick._ And where does one find a twelve-foot long stick? He mentally hit himself. _Should he go in?_ Absolutely not, panic attacks in this situation weren't going to help.

Bella was walking away now, away from him and towards the forest. _You’re trying to leave after what you’ve done!?_ He screamed at her in his mind as she continued fleeing. That’s right, she was running away. He was okay, everything was under control—

“Jason!” His body froze as he turned around, expecting to see Lily’s wide eyes staring at what’s left of Bella. He was so relieved when he could only barely see her pink shirt from the distance. 

The grass under her feet remained untouched as she stopped before taking a step. Whose voice was that? It wasn’t her killer’s voice, no. It sounded so… nice. But it was so distant, and it was not her name that was called. She lingered for a moment longer before walking away, her revenge was still in action, after all. 

He was almost worried that Bella would turn around, but it seemed she didn’t care after all. _I guess they_ are _really only set on vengeance._ Looking at the lake, he walked closer to the water as he waited for Lily to approach him.

“Is that your knife?” _Machete,_ he wanted to correct her, but unless he could correctly spell it, he’d have to bear with it. He nodded hesitantly, casting a sad look towards his floating weapon.

“How are you going to get it?” He shrugged, because he honestly had no idea.

“I can swim and get it for you.” _What!? Hell to the no, the water was barely seventy five degrees! What if you drowned?_ He shook his head in dismay, and continued to switch signing between _cold, no, and bad._ He gave her several thumbs down too, but she didn’t seem convinced.

She dipped her hand in the water as she contemplated, it wasn’t too bad. Besides, she knew how important the machete was to him. He had it with him everywhere he went! What kind of a friend would she be if she didn’t at least try to help? 

“It’s not too cold, I’m going to get it.” _No!_ He reached for her arm as she jumped in, but he was too slow. Splash! Droplets of water hit him as Lily hit the water. _Oh no oh no oh no._ He began to panic when she didn’t come up after a few seconds, was she drowning!? 

Blurp blurp blurp. That’s what the bubbles sounded like to her as she went under. The water felt colder than when she tested it with her hand, but it wasn’t freezing. The water was a little murky, and there was some seaweed looking plant below her. She started swimming. It’s been a while since she’d swam, and the movements of her arms were a bit rigid as she tried to kick faster. The seaweed plants stretched deeper the further she swam, and in the dark abyss filled with water, she saw something grey and white. She slowed down as she tried to look closer, it looked like… a white stick? A white stick with more grey things piled at the bottom. 

She detoured from her original route as she sunk deeper, but the murky water blurred her vision a little bit. As she approached, there were white circles with holes scattered around weird greyish structures. She wanted to take a closer look. _It could be dangerous_ , she warned herself, and so she kept swimming towards the machete. When she reached it, a new problem formed. How was she going to carry it back while swimming? She mentally groaned, she should’ve thought this through. _Maybe I can carry it with my mouth?_ But that idea was discarded. 

Finally, she decided to use the machete as a paddle she would hold onto, like how she would practice kicking in swimming class. 

Splash, splash, splash. She looked like a water monster, with only half of her head visible. She tilted her head a few times to get air, and that looked funky to him. She trudged back onto solid ground as water gravitated away from her. 

“Here you go!” She handed him the machete with the handle pointing towards him and beamed as he took it. The sticky feeling of her shirt against her skin was ignored as her eyes lit up with accomplishment. She did that all by herself! 

He had to steady his hand as he put the machete back. He couldn’t believe that she’d actually risk drowning in order to help him! Coming back to him with a smile on her face even while she was soaking wet. What did he do to deserve her? He knelt down as he patted her shoulders, needing to verify that she was physically there. _You’re alright,_ he signed, and he cupped her cheek after. 

“I may not be strong or be able to tie knots, but I can still help!” She couldn’t mask her pride as she smiled, and she was about to say more before something pulled at her cheek. 

“Ow!” She felt her left cheek being pulled as Jason’s other hand attacked as well, aiming directly for her right cheek. Within seconds, her cheeks were being squished and pulled in all kinds of directions. “Owwww!” She grabbed at his wrists, but he didn’t let go. She had a feeling he was a bit mad at her for going into the water even after she’d been warned. 

“I’m saweeyy!” She cried as his pulling began to die down. Her cheeks felt sore after the assault, but Jason just looked at her with no remorse whatsoever. “I’m really sorry. I won’t do it again!” She said in a hurry, mostly due to the stinging of her cheeks. “Unless, your machete gets into the lake again, of course.”

“You know, I became a police officer today! I saved donutville and the stuffed animals!” She stood and fell into her pose she practiced before. “So if you ever need help, I can try to fix it. That’s what friends do!” She was practically bouncing around now, never stopping in a place for over two seconds. 

Jason felt his body overheat as he listened to her talk. God, he was embarrassed. This was too much niceness for one day. Taking her hand, he started walking back to the cabin. He avoided her gaze, and instead decided to steer the topic onto something else. _How is Snickerdoodle?_ He asked with a tilt of his head. 

“Oh.” She said as she realized what she had done in her burst of boredom. “I cleaned them up because you were taking kind of long, so…” She caught a slight frown, and couldn’t help but feel guilty, she _had_ promised to wait for him, after all. “It’s okay! We can play something else! Like hide and seek!”

His mood lightened at this, and they’re walking pace speeded up. On their way back, they played rock paper scissors to see who would be the seeker. He won.

:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! It's been a while since the last chapter, so I'm very sorry! Unfortunately, I will still need to revise and edit the previous chapters before releasing another one, but I will still be posting doodles! (Yay, doodles!) Did you guys expect Bella to come back? Hopefully not. I hope this wasn't a bad plot twist, whoopie daisies. Until then, see you guys next chapter! UwU


	27. Hide and Seek

He tilted his head away from her as he faced the wall, ready to start counting. Darkness seeped into his vision as he listened and counted to sixty. _One mississippi, two mississippi, three mississippi…_ Creak. To his left was a tiny squeak of sound, was it Lily? He kept listening as the number of mississippis increased.

She tiptoed as slowly as she could while trying to reach her hiding spot, craning her neck as to not tip the balance _._ She got to work as soon as she reached his bedroom. Starting with the toy chest, she poured out all the toys from it as quietly as she could. The toys were arranged in a moderately neat pile as she gently lifted the board games. 

The empty chest was not comfortable, but it had to do. She squeezed herself in as the lid closed, and the sliding lock slid on with a soft click. Now all she had to do was wait. _How long has he been counting?_ Knock knock knock. That was the signal! She hugged her knees tighter as she waited in the darkness. Hopefully, her hiding place can last for a while. 

He scanned the room he was in first, starting with the kitchen. He opened the cupboards slowly as he listened, but there wasn’t any noise. He couldn’t hear any squeaks in the house at all, actually. Well, she was doing better than over half of his victims. The living room came next as he scoped out the kitchen, finding nothing but dust and empty spaces. 

He checked under the couch and table in the living room, but there was nothing. Walking softly as to not alert her of his location, he walked into his bedroom. He already told her not to go into the bathroom, and the door on its hinges would always creak, so it would’ve been a dead giveaway. He snuck closer to the bed as he looked for any discrepancies. Woosh! He swiped away the sheets on the bed as he looked under, but only darkness greeted him. She was better than he’d thought.

He noticed the stuffed animals were thrown in one corner as he looked around, along with some sloppily stacked board games. _Wait…_ weren’t they supposed to be _in_ the chest? The light bulb above his head ignited as the pieces fell in place, _of course!_ Using her size to her advantage, that was smart. _Though..._ He flipped the lock open before lifting up the lid, and blue eyes greeted him this time, instead of a dark space. _Choosing a spot like this one renders the hider immobile if the seeker finds them._

_Boop._ He poked her nose once as she laid in the chest. He waited for her to stand up but she didn’t. He tilted his head and stared. 

She stared back as she struggled to get up, flexing her leg muscles didn’t do anything. Her ankles twisted as they tried to pry her out of the wooden box. 

“I think I’m stuck.” She blurted out, and suddenly staring at Jason became uncomfortable. She waited patiently as she locked eyes with the ceiling, thinking about how he was going to help. _Maybe he’ll flip the chest upside down._ She mentally prepared for the hard impact of falling to the ground, but she nor the chest was ever lifted. She began counting the dark spots of the ceiling, but she barely reached number four before a wheeze escaped her lungs. 

“Wha—haha!” She flailed her arms around as he popped her torso out. _What was she doing?_ He continued to try and lift her up as his fingers dug into her torso, but she just squirmed harder. “No, stop— _hahahaha_!” Her legs swung right into his chest, and he became more and more worried by the second. He applied only the absolutely necessary force to hold her as he held her. He wanted to flinch and let go completely, but the ground beneath her wasn’t soft, and he didn’t want to risk her sustaining another injury caused by him. He stilled his arm as he looked at Lily, who was now out of breath and gasping. 

“I’m ticklish!” She felt her sides spasm a little as she hung suspended in his arms. She saw the slow blink of his eyes as realization washed over them. Realization, and something else. _Wait a minute._ She frantically kicked her legs as she tried to make his hands release, but they did not yield. She felt the first wave start as laughter rose from her throat. She was full-on flailing now, but the ground was still so far away. When her feet finally felt something solid, she collapsed, and the attacks came once more. 

“Grah! Hahaha!” She tried to twitch away from his fingers, but he held her in place. She grabbed at his sides in an attempt to tickle him back, but he had no reaction. _He’s immune! Noo!_ She tried his neck and his armpits, but still nothing. _It’s alright,_ she reassured herself, _I have a trump card!_ Thinking of her last resort, she did the only thing she could.

“I surrender!” After a few moments, her stomach no longer felt fingers dance on top of them. She sighed with relief as she caught her breath. Basking in the silence that followed, she sat up when her breathing had evened, and her core strained from the assault. 

“You’re mean.” She said with a pout, and began crawling over to the mountain of toys.

His smile crumbled as he rushed over to her, signing sorry. He fumbled with his thumbs as he watched her face. She wasn’t mad at him, right?

Her smile returned as she started staking the toys. Now he was making her feel guilty with those puppy eyes. “I didn’t really mean it, Jason.” She brought his hand down his sides as she continued. “If you help me clean up, we can go eat later.” 

He nodded eagerly, and scooped up half of the toys before dumping them into the chest. It didn’t take long for Lily to organize the board games. The lid clicked closed as she skipped out of the room. She turned around and waited for him to get up and follow before turning the corner. 

“C’mon!” She watched him steady himself before ducking under the trapdoor. “I’ll race you!” She began following the dim light as she ran. The soles of her feet stepped on a few tiny rocks, but she kept jogging. She became even more motivated by the thumping footsteps behind her. The workshop was closer now, but just as she reached fifteen feet of it, she felt herself being lifted. Then, an arm looped under her as her face pointed towards the ground. She let him carry her into the room, and surprisingly, she wasn’t too out of breath even after all that running. 

He rummaged through the duffle bags and backpacks as he thought about what to eat. A sandwich for Lily, and a bag of chips for him. He handed her the ziplock bag as she opened it with a _shik!_ The bag of chips he grabbed was barbeque flavored, which was a flavor he hadn’t had in a while. He ripped open the top with a pop, and the smell leaked into his nostrils. _Mmmm,_ its scent urged him to drool. His right hand went up to take off his mask, but before reaching the bands on the back of his head, it stopped. 

His fingers started shaking as he eyed Lily. She was still chewing her sandwich. Deep breaths. He tried breathing in and out while acting inconspicuous, but the bag of chips he held shook as he did this. 

Out of the corner of her eye, a slight movement stopped her jaw from closing around her sandwich. She turned to look at him, and the shaking stopped. Tilting her head, she started staring at him without realizing it. _One, two, three._ She did not break her gaze and continued to hold eye contact, knowing full well that she was being quite rude.

The usual comforting feeling of a mask was stripped away from him as he stood up. It was like his mask suddenly vanished, leaving him defenseless. He felt like he was naked. He looked to see Lily’s reaction, but it only made his agitation worsen. Lily looked confused, and he could feel the slow beads of sweat sliding down his back as she stared at him. _Don’t walk away, don’t leave, don’t leave, leave—_ He couldn’t handle it anymore, and before she could see the unease in his eyes, he walked away. Or, truth be told, he ran away. 

“Wait! Jason, where are you going!” The words sounded fuzzy to him as he started sprinting, they sounded like the words of an old cassette tape .Both his hands were pressed to his face now, and the rock walls flew by him in no time. In a familiar set of movements, he launched himself out through the trapdoor. His legs carried him away from the house, and only then was a small weight lifted off his chest.

She blinked several times before she walked back to the room. What did she do wrong? She took another bite of the sandwich and chewed slowly. _Did he want my turkey sandwich?_ Then why would he give it to her? She wolfed down her food after thinking this, and found that she wanted to go and find him. _I know the forest pretty well._ She thought, but truthfully speaking, she was only slightly acquainted with the south and east sides. Still worth a try, though… _I’ll be the seeker this time!_ She squeezed the once turkey filled Ziploc bag as the idea flooded her mind. 

She raced out of the tunnels, figuring she'd already given Jason enough time to hide. _Ready or not, here I come!_

:-:-:-:-: 

“La la la, la…” She hummed the tune as she walked around the forest. Where did she even learn this tune? She couldn’t remember. What she could remember, however, was how weak and pathetic she felt when the blood drained out of her cut, taking her last bit of life with it. _Cause and effect,_ she told herself, and she wasn’t wrong. The stab wound in the shoulder, running, the farm, and that man. He was part of her haunting as well. Although the main cause was Jason, she couldn’t help but feel resentment towards that… _nice..._ old man. He did contribute to her death.

Her hand passed through a tree as she considered. She supposed she had to possess an ounce of gratitude for him still, for he did also invoke her to become a ghost. Although that gratitude was very, very tiny, and he was far from off the hook in her revenge. She touched the wound on her shoulder, it no longer pulsed with pain. If only it would be magically healed. How come that didn’t come in the package of being a ghost? 

Her flesh was red where it had been cut, and it looked disgusting. She held the urge to vomit as she poked the brown edges, could ghosts even puke? Did they have bodily fluids? Her hands floated through several more bushes and trees as she hummed, trying to navigate the landscape. _It’d be a lot easier if I could pass through things entirely._ She’s tried it enough times to know it didn’t work. In fact, it was the first thing she tried when she came back, minus trying to see if she could levitate. 

Her humming dropped to a low note as she savored the melody, it was quite comforting. It would’ve transitioned to an even lower note too, if not for the hurrying footsteps that treaded past her. They were gone as swiftly as they had arrived, like a cold gust of wind that passed by. She did the only thing her body told her to, chase. Her fears were stripped away from her the moment her translucent form materialized back on this earth. Spiders were no longer scary, heights were just an inconvenience, and death was a mere fairy tale. The temperature was non-existent, and she could no longer feel pain. 

She pursued with little difficulty as her feet emitted no sound, save for the bits of grass she would disturb upon trampling on. Her heart did not race and she did not battle to capture air for her muscles. She chased her goal with nearly no obstacles. She did not breathe.

Crouching behind at a safe distance, the sun poured onto a half her face as it highlighted her jawbone. The other side of her face remained in the shadow as she watched. It was the man who killed her. Her bones grew even more still as she yearned not to be discovered. Her fingers swayed in the tree she hid behind as she leaned against it with her chest. He stared at the sky and clouds as he stood like a statue, like her. She watched him touch his mask as if he’d never had a face in his life, that he’d just been bestowed one, and was fascinated with it. Yet it was not fascination that he radiated, but something much fouler and depressing. 

He held his mask in his hands as he felt the tiny imperfections in the cracks and crevases. There were bumpy spots, places that were a bit caved in, and an interesting texture where some of the paint flaked off. These imperfections came close to nothing compared to his actual face. His fingers touched the black straps that laid on his bald head, but they did nothing in the end. They slowly creeped back to his side as he started eyeing the clouds above him. They moved in the sky lazily as he stood, and one of them looked like a star.

She couldn’t figure out what it was as she strained her eyes to see, to observe and pick apart what it was. Her eyelids grew sore, and so she closed her eyes to soothe them. Her pupils rested as she now listened, and the answer to her question became apparent. There were small sniffles that would be followed by a loud exhale, and then it would repeat. 

She opened her eyes, and after squinting, found that his mask had a slight glisten to it. Below the holes for the eyes, light settled through the cracks in the liquid behind it. She felt a tugging spark in her cheeks, and before it could spread, she shunned it away. She would not pity this murderer. 

_And so are you—!_ A sharp voice pierced her mind, and it did not belong to her. High pitched and engrained with anger, it rang through her head relentlessly. She squeezed her head with her palms and it vanished, but not before leaving her sweating and struggling to stand. The mysterious voice brought her into a state of bedlam as well, and she felt her urge to kill the crying man stronger than ever. 

There was no sound, but even with the salty water that observed his vision, he could still see the movement of a leg near him. He didn’t need to look twice to know who the pale and somewhat see through legs belonged to. The fluids that slid down his face dried instantly as he turned to face her. The weight of his once invisible mask manifested as his confidence settled back into him. He steadied his overriding nerves as he fell into a fighting stance, for a second of weakness could mean another death for him. He turned his hip quipped with the machete away from her, should she try to steal it again. He would not be careless this time. 

It was after she felt the flare in her legs as she regained equilibrium in her mind. She berated herself letting an outburst of emotion control her, but it was too late. She had no weapon, and she had not touched any part of his body that would aid in her attmept to murder him. And neither did he, she thought as she assumed a calm stance, showing no signs or thoughts of fleeing. Oh, if only her memory served her better.

Although still on edge about the sudden confrontation, he was nothing but adaptable. He expected her to be armed with something, but her hands were empty. Like a series circuit, the lights in his mind came on one by one with the flip of a single switch, and the dim room he was confined in brimmed with light. He prepared to use his machete, but there would be risks. It would become a double-edged blade, and with it would come consequences he did not want to bear. He saw the abnormal amounts of time she blinked and analyzed it carefully. It led him to the possibility that this attack wasn’t planned, which could very well mean that she was blatantly vulnerable. 

They held their grounds as he unsheathed his machete, and he held it with no intention of puncturing anything. He leveled his gaze to confirm his suspicions, and the swallows that popped like veins through her throat was the last thing he needed to start advancing towards her. 

_Nice and steady,_ she told herself as she focused solely on grabbing the blade. She couldn’t kill him, but severing his head off might do some damage. _Unless he can still walk without a head._ Now that would be troubling to see. The machete was raised above his shoulder as it came down, and she reached out to grab it. _Got it—_ and then she felt a sudden drift in gravity. Her leg shot out to catch her, but the conclusion didn’t change as she felt her head being slammed into the tree. Again. Except she could think clearly this time, without the immense pain interfering with her thoughts. 

He tried grabbing at her limbs only for his hand to go through them with a whoosh. As he repeatedly tried to dent her skull, his hands tried to find a solid spot, starting with her shoulders. Floomp, not there. He moved lower and felt something physical, but a weight was thrown onto him before he could explore farther. 

“Didn’t your mother teach you not to touch a lady without permission?” She launched herself onto him using her momentum, knowing that her core was quite solid. Her spine became erect as her legs passed through him, and an electrifying feeling shot through her body. She sat on top of him as she reached for the machete, but the tables turned once more as she felt her back on the ground. She found that the feeling of swaying grass inside one’s body did not feel nice. She planned to roll away from him, but the cold end of a balde was shoved right between the bridge of her nose as it sent another wave of shivers down her spine. 

Chilling jolts replaced her pain as he kept jabbing the weapon in her. The sensation she experienced felt like the static throbbing of hitting one's elbow against something, but with some extra spice. 

He resorted to punching her skull as he lamented about the past opportunity to stab her head with his weapon. He relentlessly pounded her bobbing head with frustration before an idea came to him. Rolling off of her core, he took a spot in the grass next to her as he aimed. With trained precision, the machete landed right in the middle of her stomach, piercing her through. A wave of power surged through him as the blade was pulled out. Cutting into something, no matter the material, was always satisfying. 

The shockwave that passed through her was by far the strongest one when the balde slid into her flesh. A sliver of pain reached her brain, and that sliver was all it took for her to cry out. The absence of pain was both a blessing and curse, she realized as she hastily stood up. His machete sliced through her core once more before she could regain balance, but the painful jolt did not present itself this time. And, with some relief, she realized that her core was no longer solid. _It must’ve moved somewhere else._ Her controlled smirk returned as she looked up to him, and although she herself did not know where her solid part took shelter in, he didn’t either. 

He expected her torso to slide off of her when he swiped at her, but it harmlessly slid through. His glee shattered as he stared at her, and he found that she now held a small smile. A playful smile. From what he’s experienced, a smile always meant they had a trick, and in this case, a possibly dangerous trick. He searched her face for any hints to what she had up her sleeve, but her lips revealed nothing as she kept smiling at him. 

“Now you have nothing to hold onto except my head, but even if you get a hold of it, you can’t kill me.” She kept her cool as she bargained, and although she prepared for him to decline and use violence, he stayed silent as he regarded her with apprehension. 

He didn’t want to admit it, but she had a point. Even if he were to split her skull open with his fists, she would just regenerate, or look like that for the rest of her haunting. He couldn’t decide which was worse. He felt his legs backtracking as he eyes her with suspension, knowing full well that she couldn’t possibly harm him due to the distance between them. Her figure grew smaller as he walked backwards and felt for any intervening trees. 

Bella felt her nerves steady as the white hockey mask faded into the background of the forest, leaving her to bask in what’s left of the trampled grass. She felt the cracked bark of the trees before her and grimaced as she pictured the pain she would’ve felt if her pain receptors still functioned. She left not too long after tracing the cracks in the tree as she sought to collect her thoughts elsewhere.

:-:-:-:-:

She kept her eyes peeled for any sign of movement as she scanned the forest. She wondered how Jason heard her everytime she tried to sneak up on him, he even scared her once when he turned back too quickly. Her footsteps needed to be very quiet if she had the hopes of scaring him, and she hoped the absence of snow would aid her. 

Twirling out of boredom, she skipped across the forest with relative ease, knowing where the key milestones were. There was her stump, a big tree with a hole, and a rise in elevation after a broken path. Scenery flew by her as she forgot to conceal the sound out her footsteps. Her mission popped back into her mind when she saw the small swaying pieces of dark brown not too far away.

The strips of Jason's coat made him look like he was fading away, like how sand acts when the wind comes by. She felt more nervous as she crouched and slowed her walking pace. 

A few steady steps. She noticed nothing off about him as she crept near the ground, and she kept following behind him. Five more steps. She felt strangely still as she sensed an increase in the time it took for each of his feet to touch the ground. Two very slow steps. She started slowing down after he had already done so, and found that she was at a distance closer than she had liked to be. 

Stomp. He turned around with no sound as he came face to face with his stalker, but their face was rounder, and their hair was not black. Honestly, he should've known it wasn't Bella, since her footsteps were non-existent, just like ninety-five percent of her body. It was helpful how he didn't plan to attack whoever was following him, for if he had, he wasn't sure if he could've stopped himself before the blade met their neck. A puff of air came from his nostrils as he bent down, and before he could reprimand her for trying to creep up on him, she launched her hand out on his mask.

"I found you!" Her palm slid down a bit to feel the texture of the weirdly dry mask. She moved to pull her hand away, but he moved back first, recoiling away from her as if she’d slapped him. “Your mask feels a little dry, I thought it’d be more slippery?” 

He touched the spot she placed her hand on, it felt normal. He, however, felt the complete opposite of normal. _Dry?_ His fingers trailed down his cheek as he registered the rough remnants of his tears. His eyes darted to her for a quick glance. She didn't know, she wouldn't know. He rose back onto his feet as he reassured himself of Lily's oblivion. Her smile only led him to believe he was right as he offered his hand to her. As always, she could only wrap her hand around his thumb, but it was better than nothing. 

They walked slower than usual, she noticed as Jason looked ahead, guiding her through one of the many secret trails in the forest. She wondered what would've happened if she had said her thoughts before he pulled away. "What were you crying about?" She pictured herself saying. From the moment her fingers felt the slick yet dry texture, she knew exactly what happened. Even on a mask, it felt the same as on skin. The smooth feeling was always evident and shined when light pierced through, unless washed off. It was weird, she thought as she looked up at him. Crying through a mask would feel uncomfortable, wouldn't it? His hazel eye looked back down at her before she finished thinking, so she let it go. She smiled at him, to which he blinked a few times, and then looked back in front of them.

Somewhere in the distance, beyond the towering trees and terrain, she swore she heard a low melody, following a tune eerily familiar to her. It reminded her of someone she hasn't seen in a long, long time...

:-:-:-:-:

Here's an extra thank you to all you dear readers that helped me reach my milestone of 1,000 hits! I tried to make the shading look better, but I hope you don't mind the possibility that the shadows aren't realistic. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I sprinkled some ghost physics into this chapter for fun, but I think I'll squeeze in a bit more next chapter as well! I hope this chapter's length doesn't bother you, but do tell me if it does. Until next time, see you! @(o･ｪ･)@ﾉ~”


	28. A Ghost's Touch

When Lily passed by Dustin’s driveway for the hundredth time since he’d gone on vacation, she expected to see the guy who took care of his house while Dustin was away. Or, even better, an empty driveway with leaves blowing across the ground. She had to pinch her cheeks with a significant amount of force so that she could actually believe that she was not dreaming. Dustin was back! She prepared her supplies as she skipped to their meeting spot, waiting for his arrival. 

The hands of the clock ticked past twelve four before Lily saw any sign of her teacher. 

“Hello, Lily.” He squeezed all the traces of a frown from his smile as he approached her with a book in hand. He has half-heartedly hoped she wouldn’t be here, or that she’d somehow forgotten about him completely. And to think that he was wishing she wouldn’t worry about him not too long ago. He really was a hypocrite. 

“Hi Dustin! How was your vacation? Did you have a lot of fun?” She bounced with excitement as she awaited his answers.

“Yes, Lily, it was superb.”

“Was Whitney excited to see you too?” 

“Yes, she was.” He hoped her string of questions would end there, but she only followed it up by inquiring what they did together.

“We...talked. We caught up on things and I bought her some flowers.” 

“You did!? What color were they?” 

He hid the fact that the species of the flower was a lily due to embarrassment, and partly because it was quite weird now that he thought of it. Giving a bouquet of lilies to a child, would that make him seem like a pedophile? It might, he concluded, and decided to not take the risk at all. 

He sat to the right of her as he masked his right arm with his torso. “I’m going to teach you how to improve texture today. Now, listen carefully.” He opened the book as he explained how to draw the texture of cloth compared to that of marble. Always start with the dark places, he would say, but then add that she was free to do it however she wanted. 

She sketched out the handkerchief shown in the picture book, but Dustin kept correcting her. About the proportions of the creases, how much pressure she was putting on the tip of her pencil, and even her hand posture. She tried her best to focus, but her thoughts wandered as she lazily eyed the smudged paper. It wasn’t long before she wanted to take a break.

“Can you help me do this part?” She pointed to the creases of the handkerchief and looked at him with sad eyes. He opened his mouth to say no, but then she added, “Please?” Maybe it was because he was in contact with Whitney for too long, or maybe not, but for those short seconds, she looked like the granddaughter he’s lost so long ago.

The pigment in Lily’s hair changed to a mix of amber and orange as it rested on her back, and he reached to take the pencil out of her hand. “Of course, dear. Now watch closely.” He didn’t notice the slip of his tongue as she watched him take the sketchbook out her hands as well. 

_ Dear? _ She wondered why he had called her that, for he’s never addressed her other than Lily or Lilian. She knew people who’d call her by something else that had little to no connection to her name before, but she didn’t expect Dustin to have one, for some strange reason. Let’s see… She stopped paying attention to Dustin’s lesson as she remembered her elementary teacher, who also has a nickname for her. What did she call her again?

_ “Are you alright, Lily?” Mrs. Arbuckle helped her up as she held her hand. “What happened?” She eyed the cut her tricep as they walked to the classroom.  _

_ “I was playing handball with other people and a ball hit me, then I fell on near the blacktops.” She did fall, just not due to her own fault. Someone else was to blame, and she fought to keep their name inside her throat.  _ You tell anyone, and you’ll never have any friends ever again!  _ Her hold on Mrs.Arbuckle’s hand tightened as Amelia’s voice ducked back into its corner, but even then, she felt unnerved.  _

_ “You must’ve had quite the fall, Darling.” She ignored the tone Mrs. Arbuckle took in the first half of her sentence as she raised her eyebrows at her.  _

_ “Darling? What’s that?” She’s never heard the words before, and to be frank, it sounded like an insult to her. Her teacher didn’t answer her until she opened the heavy classroom door and led her inside.  _

_ “It’s a word that you use with people you care about.” She grabbed a white box from behind her desk as she set Lily on a chair. “This is going to sting a little, so try not to move, okay?” She sanitized the wound after cleaning the blood, and Lily did a good job staying still. She lifted her arm to start bandaging it, but almost dropped it when her ears picked up a profanity.  _

_ “I’m sorry, what did you say?” She watched her student carefully as she wondered if she misheard. Seeing her reluctance to repeat it, she gently probed at her.  _

_ “...Is bitch a word that you use for people you care for too?” There were still thousands of words unknown to her, but maybe the meaning of this one would change the status of her relationship with her mom forever.  _

_ “Who called you that?” She stopped staring at Lily as she continued to dress her wound, but with an uneasy feeling inside her chest now. For Lily to ask this question would mean that someone she cared for called her that, but who? She doesn’t recall Lily being friends with anyone in her class, but she wasn’t sure about other classes.  _

_ “I was just curious.” Another lie. At this point, she didn’t know how convincing she was anymore, and once a lie was caught, the others start unraveling with it. Mrs. Arbuckle gave no response as she wrapped the white tape around her arm.  _

_ “There you go, now run along, we wouldn’t want to keep your mother waiting.” Lily stood from the chair as her teacher put the box back in the drawer, and she looked to her with puzzlement as she pulled the heavy door open.  _

_ “Thank you, but I walk home, Mrs. Arbuckle.” She watched the slow closing of the door as LIly slipped out, and horror was the only thing that remained on her face. If LIly truly walked home by herself, who is the woman she sees staring Lily down every time she exits the school gates?  _

Darling, that was it. Her focus went back to Dustin’s hand as he sketched some shapes around the shadow. His movements weren’t as fluid as usual, but rather rigid and robotic-like.

His wrist locked as he noticed her growing interest in his stiff arm as she leaned forward, hoping to catch a better look at his shoulder. Though his shoulder was fine, moving it would still shift his elbow, which would definitely make him grimace. He needed to move her interest elsewhere, but where exactly, was the question. He gripped the pencil harder as he tried to concentrate, and the distraction he so desperately needed made itself present. The pencil’s lead tip broke with a snap, and the little noise made both him and Lily look down. 

“Oh dear, that’s inconvenient.” He stifled a sigh as he visibly relaxed. “You don’t happen to have a pencil sharpener, do you?” Lily shook her head as she took the pencil into her hands, it was the last pencil she owned. 

“Do you have a sharpener?” She hoped he did, not realizing that he would have to, since he is an artist, and what kind of artist doesn’t have a sharpener? 

“I… I’m not sure. I can check, and if I find one, I’ll bring it next time, alright?” He maintained the cheeky smile plastered on his face as he talked, and watched as her lips curled into a frown.

She felt as though he were trying to end their time together prematurely, and she didn’t want that. She searched for a subject to discuss and before he could say anything else, she replied, “So, how’s Bella?” 

A sunken memory resurfaced as he processed the name, and the anxiety from earlier bubbled through him once more. His teeth ground behind his lips as he faced her with a shaky smile, and he almost chokes before he can answer. 

“She's doing well. She’s better now.” His answer was quiet as he looked at her curious eyes, hoping he would not be caught in a lie. 

“Is her shoulder better now?” A nod from him was all she got as she struggled to keep the conversation going. “She must have been really thankful. She probably wants to be your friend. She’s a good person, and she’s really nice, too!”

A bitter feeling settled on his tongue as she talked, pausing every few seconds to add something more, anything to keep the conversation flowing. But he wasn’t listening. He pictured smelling the salt from blood oozing from her shoulder as her breathing slowed, but she was nowhere near relaxed. He could see the white, yellowish bones buried in the ground, but he figured he was exaggerating, didn’t it take years for human bodies to decompose? 

He could lie to her face, he thought as he stole a peek at her, still rambling on about how he and Bella could be very good friends. So far, none of his misleading statements have been exposed yet, even the weak, small white lies. It would’ve been so easy to put him on the spot, too. All she would have to do was to inquire a bit more, press a little harder, and put on a questioning face. That was all it would’ve taken. 

He looked into her eyes as her pupils switched its target while she talked, and wondered if she didn’t press him to protect his dignity, or was simply too naive to know how. 

“Don’t you think so too?” She craned her neck to meet Dustin’s unfocused eyes, which stood out due to the added bags under his eyes.

“Oh yes, but I should really get going, Lily.” He stood up as he brushed off his thighs, though there was no dirt nor dust on them. 

“...Okay.” She checked her watch to see that their usual time together was reduced by at least thirty percent.  _ He’s just not feeling well.  _ “See you tomorrow, Dustin!” Her arm felt heavy as she held it in the air and waved him goodbye, feeling the sadness weigh her down significantly. Well, maybe she can check up on how Jason was doing.

:-:-:-:-:

_ Thank you,  _ he signed after he brushed her hand off of his fingers, taking care in not looking at her in the eye. Ever since the eerie feeling of being figuratively naked washed over him, it was as if a ghost now followed him. A ghost that whispered warnings into his ear when he was unsure, one that would weigh him down with even more doubts than before. He walked away from her, his forced smile dissipating. Her smile was genuine, but strained, and he was sure he had contributed to that. Iit was a shame that good weather came hand in hand with more frequent intruders. The stump she stayed at was opposite of where the bells rang, so she could still walk around freely, but with alertness. 

Shadows of leaves swayed in the wind as he walked down towards the lake trail, it was the most popular place for camping, for some unknown reason. He supposed it may be due to the weird maple leaf looking plants found near it, majaruana, if he recalled correctly. It appeared to make the campers lose more of their already limited brain cells. 

“Don’t be a wuss, dude!” 

The voices were clear now, and he resided at a safe distance. There were four people this time, a troublesome and unlucky number for him, since four always meant he’d have to do some running. It wasn’t the running he minded, the aftermath felt quite nice, but knowing they’d perish sooner or later was annoying, not to mention the loud, piercing screams. Three guys and a girl, no one was noticeably muscular, that helped. 

Striking so early in the day would be risky and not worth the backlash, so he had to be patient. The waiting game was always the most boring. Background noises went in and out of his ears as he imagined what he’d be doing right now if the teens hadn't intruded, but his mind was empty. Nothing. His fingers felt an itching need to squeeze something as he tried to configure an image with Lily, but his efforts had the opposite effect. The chess pieces he and Lily played with were draped with cobwebs as spiders guarded them, forcing them to do something else. Every other scenario he came up with followed the same formula. There was only one happy scene he could persuade to stay, and it was from last year. He missed weaving flower crowns.

_ “Don’t worry, the flowers will grow back, and you can get better at making them.”  _ He felt his callouses through the gloves, rough and hard, built upon years of hard work. Who would’ve thought he’d be able to place the tiny stems of flowers through loops while not crushing them? Maybe she’ll teach him how to do patterns in the stems this year. 

Laughter spilled from the group of friends, oblivious to the hunter watching them, all chatting and teasing each other. Jason sighed, and his eyes drooped with boredom as he eyed their dull interactions from afar. 

:-:-:-:-:

The frown stuck on Lily’s face as she imagined seeing Jason walking away for the tenth time, wishing she had something to do. It seemed everyone was busy with something, and she didn’t know  whether or not to be glad she was free of those responsibilities . It  should be a privilege , according to one of her teachers, one who was notorious for having hair so long it touched the ground. Her students called her Ms. Rapunzel, though she couldn’t recall her actual name. 

_ Being bored and left out is good?  _ It was fairly easy to throw away  that teacher’s credibility as she wandered off farther into the forest, moving away from where Jason left. 

“Bomi biddy bom biddy biddy biddy bom…” She softly sang along to a song she picked from choir, and though it was off tune, it was still recognizable. She started hopping to the beat of the song, and before she knew it, she was halfway through the animal trail.

:-:-:-:-:

“This is rigged.” She threw another branch away as she picked up a thin one. Assuming that you can finally rest in peace after getting revenge on your killer, wasn’t it right to think that being assigned to an immortal serial killer was an infinite loophole? If there was a system that moderated this ghost thing, they definitely didn’t care, or the managers were being paid minimum wage. 

“Maybe if I kill myself enough they’ll let me pass into the afterlife.” She broke the thin branch and bent over to take another as she studied the new specimen. It was thick enough that she didn’t bother to break as she tossed it away, looking for another. Unfortunately, standing up too quick led to her upsetting her balance, which in turn made her fall. 

Her palm fell into the side of a tree as she caught herself, thankful that her core was no longer her solid spot.  _ Imagine catching yourself with your core.  _ The memory of hitting her toe replaced the sensation as she moved on from the thought. 

“Or… maybe if I kill him enough times. Would that mean he’s not invincible?” She leaned into the trees with her core, forgetting that it could no longer interact with the forest. 

“Wha—” She realized too late when the chilly feeling of sticking a body part through something struck her. Her hands shot out to catch her fall, but her back touched the ground first. She debated on whether or not to get up, but her argument had to come to an end when a voice appeared. The voice slowly strolled by her as he peered from behind the trees, expecting to see one of the girls from before. The thought was absurd, of course, since why would she wander all the way here, and without her friends, nonetheless? 

The owner of the voice belonged to an individual with dark brown hair, and they were short. It wasn't until they tilted their head that reconzation struck her. It was faint at first, as her metaphorical heart pumped just a bit faster, until it beat so violently that it caused her uneasiness.  _ Who are you?  _ She unconsciously reached her arm out, but quickly pulled back as she caught herself. She knew this girl, she had to. But her hands were twitching, as though she was frightened. 

She followed the girl with fascination and wariness as she searched her limited memories, trying to fit her into a profile. The theory that the girl could’ve been involved in her murder seeped into her mind as she stalked her, and her hands harshly gripped the bark of each tree she clung to. 

:-:-:-:-:

She stopped singing after an unsettling sensation attacked her neck, and her first suspect was Jason.  _ But we agreed to stop snowball fights already.  _ Her paranoia subsided as she turned around to confront her stalker, but instead of a lost camper, Bella’s neutral face appeared behind a layer of shadow. 

“Bella!” She leaped at her waist for a hug, but her arms embraced nothing as Bella stepped to the side. 

“Hi, hello. I… nice to see you.” She chuckled to hide her nervousness as she tried to decipher what this meant. She studied her face closely for shock or fear, but in the end, there weren’t any. Adding the fact that the first thing she thought to do was hug her, she doubted she was involved in her murder at all.  _ But she knows me.  _

“I can’t believe you came back! Dustin told me you were still healing!” She watched the girl jump around with excitement as her eyes darted around. Her lips formed a bemused frown as she tried to attach the name Dustin to a person. Another unknown person that knew her, which was  _ great _ . 

“Oh, well, I’m better now!” She filled her voice with excitement as she smiled with her teeth, and tried to figure out what she was healing from. 

“Wait, is your shoulder still bleeding?” She instinctively covered her wound as the girl asked her, and her brain felt like it was melting when she answered. 

“I’m fine! My shoulder, my shoulder is just… still good. Just… a little more time and it’ll be very good.” She rolled her shoulder in an attempt to shift the collar of her shirt over a little, in order to mask the wound. 

“Do you want to sit next to me on my stump? I can show you my drawings! Oh yeah, I also made more friends!” 

She stood there for a few seconds before advancing towards her as she led the way. She worried about having to answer questions, but her worry subsided as the girl rambled on, talking about her hobbies and many other things. 

She placed a great amount of distance between her and the girl as she sat down, hoping she wouldn’t notice the moving grass through her ghostly body. 

“Are you best friends with Dustin yet? I don’t know if you guys have talked a lot, but if you become friends, then we can all hang out together!” Her fists clenched in excitement as she looked to Bella.

“We’re sorta best friends, I guess.” Not knowing who Dustin was, she decided to keep her answers as vague as possible in order to find out more later on. These ambiguous answers would serve as anchors for the lies she may have to weave further in the conversation. “So, how has Dustin been on your side?”

“Well, he just visited his granddaughter, and they had fun and he even bought her flowers!” 

“Sounds like a load of fun. Do you text him often?” She was hit with a funny look on the girl’s face as she responded,

“Text? We have regular meetings. Didn’t he tell you?”

An awkward smile masked her panic as she calmed herself, and she fought to keep looking her in the eye.  _ She’s just a kid, use this to your advantage.  _ “Oh right, I forgot. I text him a lot, that’s probably why.” Regular meetings _ …  _ She scanned her memory for the general landscape of the area, but there were no block to block neighborhoods around here, not even close.  _ Someone within walking distance. _ She decided to take a gamble as she pushed out her next question.

“How’s his farm doing?” This was the determining question. From her whole drive here, there were only three farms, and all of them miles apart from the other. Then, there were the locals, who had only further warned her of the missing people and legend. If she was wrong in her assumption of who Dustin was, she could cover it up with a lie. A sloppy lie, and then a distraction.

“I don’t really know, I’ve never been on it before. I’m sure there’s probably cows and sheep and pigs there that sleep all day.”

So that confirmed it. Dustin’s profile belonged to that old man. She’s been meeting up with someone who’s alright with murder.  _ Someone who’s experienced at burying bodies.  _ Her last memory with him had been far from pleasant, so when she arose from her grave, she had barely contained her rage. She dipped her head in her grave after finding out a bit surrounding ghost physics, and what do you know, there’s a dead animal right where her mandible is.

_ Pretty goddamn messed up.  _ She looked to the girl with little to no recognition still, but she had uncovered one mystery, so that was good. The foggy remnants of her past slowly cleared away now, but she couldn’t help but feel like she should know the girl. Feelings almost as strong as her thirst for revenge clawed at her brain, but no matter how hard she concentrated, the blocked memories wouldn’t resurface. 

“Is your shoulder really okay? It’s kinda brown and dark purple.”

“Definitely, it’s just that the medicine makes it look like that.” 

She looked away with an “alright” nod, and for a while, there was just peace and quiet. She sat on her favorite stump while chatting with her best friend, surrounded by the pine and trees that looked lovely against the sun. Even while feeling ignored and unwanted all day, she found solace in talking with Bella, though she was always the one leading the conversation. 

Crunch. Her ears grew accustomed to the soft crunch of snow, but ever since the warmth showed itself, the crunchy sounds waned. Not to mention how heavy it sounded, almost as if someone purposely did it to make their presence known. She turned around, but before she could greet him with a smile, Bella stood up. 

Bella wasn’t scared, not anymore. That emotion was gone now. But she still stood up in a defensive stance anyway, though no adrenaline rushed through her. She wasn’t scared, so why was she acting like this? The answer came as her eyes landed on Lily. She didn’t have time to be shocked by the bits of memory given to her as the killer approached, and she almost tripped to reach her before him. 

He walked towards Lily with his machete drawn, while she looked between him and Bella. She could see the cry for help in her eyes clear as day, and she was going to try her hardest to prevent what’s about to happen. 

_ He’s going to kill her,  _ she repeated to herself as she thought, regretting her choice of putting so much space between them. What a stupid mistake. What’s the worst thing LIly could even do to her? Hurt her feelings?  _ Don’t die, please don’t die. I'll do anything to save her, any—  _ She touched LIly before him, but she failed to wrap her arms around her as electric shot throughout her body. 

“Aguaaa!” She collapsed to the ground as her hands caught her fall, and she found her body immobile as she struggled to get up. She lifted her upper body by pushing against the stump as she suppressed the pain and reached for Lily. Her hand passed through Lily's torso with horror before she realized what had happened.

:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if my writing seems off or feels as though it's gotten worse. I am trying to improve my writing style and a friend of mine recommended reading more books so that I can evaluate my own writing. So, I hope you will overlook the shaky and unbalanced moods and flow of certain paragraphs or parts of this chapter. I am trying to protrude the length of my chapters in order to get more info in them, and it appears that has left some strain on my creative process. But worry not! I shall continue writing and will most likely post a doodle in the near future! Until then, see you next time! :D


	29. A Mind Discombobulated

Back and forth. Her hand passed through Lily’s shoulder again as her eyes widened. She only stopped after the fourth time, looking down at her hands in disbelief. They were full of color. The cloudy mix of her skin color and the grass was no longer there, and her hand was solid, equipped with blue veins underneath. 

She stood with horror as she processed the information as she wished for a way to alleviate it. However, she could only cover her gaping mouth as she failed to form a solution.  _ Impossible.  _ She ran away.

Jason stood unblinking as he froze over, his legs so shaky that they refused to move forward, yet stiff enough to keep him upright. The scene played in his mind again. Bella’s hand passed through Lily four times. Each time, Lily blinked with almost no noticeable reaction of being punctured in the shoulder. 

The woman ran off, but he did not care. His knees finally unbuckled, and he walked towards her so carefully, as though a single wrong step would send her running. 

“What...” It was like a tornado passed through her when Bella made contact. It was not a mad or sad tornado, but instead one that radiated warmth as it enveloped and trapped her inside. She felt her emotions being stripped away as the whirling wind snatched at her remaining ones. She only managed to save one, before the tornado turned crimson as a miasma of hate filled every crack and crevasse. 

Then she was out. The madness that occurred in a fraction of a second left her stunned as icy chills passed through her repeatedly. Four times, if she counted correctly. Four icy daggers and then fleeting footsteps, going far, far away. 

Jason knelt down in front of her. He stared into her cloudy eyes as he reached out to caress her. His palms hovered just beside her pale cheeks as he forced himself to push forwards, to see if she was truly there. Nothing. His fingers trembled where her jaw would be, but as much as he wanted to cry, he couldn’t. Now was not the time to show weakness. 

“I…” She whispered again, her voice wavering at the end, with fear or shock, neither of them knew. “I can’t breathe.”

:-:-:-:-:

Bella knew something was wrong long before the air infiltrated her lungs, filling them to the brim with painfully crisp air. She somehow knew exactly what happened, way before the pieces had settled in, all settling next to each other with a clean click. She kept running, and before she knew it, she arrived at the ruined part of the forest. 

She looked over her shoulder, but she was already caught deep in the maze built by mossy branches and vines. As a ghost, the sharp thorns and rocks passed through her, but as she looked, she found her feet red and bloody. She stared at the excessive blood leaking from the little holes in her feet as a feeling of disgust hit her. This, everything, just felt so wrong. Strangely, she dismissed the stinging pain that accompanied every step she took, more focused on what was currently critical at the moment. None of this was supposed to happen. Leaving a bloody trail of footprint behind her, she longed to rest, to be able to sit down and balance the equilibrium in her head. 

She rested her hands on a tree, but then remembered that her whole body was now solid.  _ What am I now?  _ Was she alive again? Her throat retched at the thought, and suddenly, being alive felt disturbingly undesirable. Her body felt foriegn to her as she scratched at an itch. She sat huddled against a tree as the itch grew, but no matter how hard she scratched, it wouldn’t go away.

:-:-:-:-:

Lily didn’t hold his hand as they walked with the now eerily silent forest. The silence would’ve been comforting if not for the new addition of sound. Eleven crows followed them as their chorus echoed around the forest, mixed with various caws and cackles. 

Her chest stayed still as she looked on, trying to make sense of her thoughts.  _ Kill him, and take your revenge.  _ The familiar voice did not belong to her. She began to daze off as her legs functioned on their own, not knowing what to think of the voice’s suggestion. 

Before long, she found herself in her head again, left with the remnants of her imaginary village. The only thing she managed to save was a glass bottle that housed scarlet liquid.  _ And which emotion might you be, sir?  _ She looked expectantly at the liquid, but it did not respond. Maybe it was anger, or love, or fury, but she did not know. She’s seen so many things that were red. The fire hydrants near the park, red shiny apples, the playground slides, and so much more. The red swirled around as she shook the bottle, trying to prod it for answers to questions even she did not know. 

She looked around the vast flat land surrounding her, littered with lopsided houses and debris. Her muffled footsteps shook the ground beneath her as she searched, not knowing why. She stopped at an off-color patch of land different from the rest, square-shaped and pale. Something was missing. She looked for clues as to what the tornado took with it, and walked backwards until she was a few houses back. 

“Sweets shop, then the playground…” The pink sign was originally attached to the side of the sweet shop laid on the ground as she walked over to the playground, closely inspecting it. Her favorite swirly swing was missing, and the blue slide was broken as well. 

“It’s my garden!” She looked at the empty patch of land as she frowned, since she had worked hard on imagining the garden. Her frown lightened a bit as she recalled that none of her plants bloomed anyway, so in the end, it did not matter. She stepped farther into the pale square, and found that there was something sprouting from the ground, something blue and shiny, smaller than her thumb.

_ A plant!  _ She was pulled out of her head by a tap on her shoulder. They had arrived at a cabin, and he was holding the door for her. 

“I want to go somewhere.” She looked past the fact that she knew sign language as he signed his worry. She failed to see why he would be too worried, for she was fine! She may not be breathing, but she can talk and walk and function. 

_ Please,  _ he signed. She did not know why he was pleading, and before she could think further, a voice guided her.  _ Don’t trust him,  _ it whispered, and she found herself to agree with its soothing warning. Mom told her to not trust strangers, especially tall strangers that wore masks. She raised her foot to leave, when something pulled at her chest, unwilling to let go. The tugging sensation grew more intense as moments passed, and she fought to shake it off.  _ I know him,  _ she told herself,  _ the voice does not belong here, they are an intruder.  _

_ No,  _ the voice from before returned, more stern and sharp _. I must kill him, I must— _ The pain ceased from her chest at once as she stepped into his cabin, making up her mind. She pushed the voice away as she descended into the mines, not knowing what to think.  _ He is my friend, I know it.  _ She couldn’t remember why or how they were friends, but she also couldn’t deny the comfort his presence brought along, nor the protective aura he emitted towards her. But even as she thought this, she eyed the potential weapons around the room subconsciously, hopping from one to the next, waiting for a chance to strike. 

She’s never felt this way before. The confidence she felt each time she pictured a way to use a makeshift weapon empowered her and made her want more, but at the same time, she shunned it. The courageous and sure voice was something she wanted, yearned for, so that she could be more than just a kid in the background. And yet, she refused its guidance. It did not belong to her, so she felt wrong to embrace it. It took some will to tear her gaze from Jason’s pile of random but interesting pile of nik-nacs as he patted her down, trying to locate something. 

She ignored the urge to swat his hand away as chilly jots danced across her body. The voices were coming back now that her mind had relaxed again. Her memories may not have severed her so well, but her moments with Bella could be recalled with no side effects. 

:-:-:-:-:

In and out, her lungs greedily took in the crisp air as she stood, checking her surroundings frantically. No sound was heard for a while. She breathed out quietly, but found that she could not relax. A considerable amount of time passed before she could sort out what she should do next.  _ I need to go back.  _ Go back to the way she was before. The body she obtained was fragile, and could be hurt easily, not like her ghost vessel, which was flexible and sturdy. 

She knew where all the cabins were due to exercise exploring prompted by boredom, but seeking Lily out was too risky. Jason could be with her, and who knew what he would do now that she was mortal. 

Her attention span shrunk considerably ever since she reverted back to a  _ human,  _ causing her to only be able to concentrate for little and infrequent amounts of time.  _ Maybe I could climb some trees to pass the time,  _ she approached a large tree before realizing what she had thought. Or, more accurately, what she didn’t think.  _ That looks like it would be fun to draw,  _ she regarded a dandelion from afar as the voice poured more thoughts into her. It rambled on about everything, and she finally had enough. 

“Go away.” She pushed it out of her head, but it only laid in a corner as it remained distant yet still alive.  _ Is this a side effect of trading bodies?  _ She could not deal with the things the voice would go on about, she decided as she walked, trying to come up with another plan.  _ Maybe I can skip some rocks.  _ She tossed the thought away as she scowled at the distraction. At this rate, she would never think of a functioning plan with its interruptions. 

:-:-:-:-:

_ Stay,  _ he signed after patting her down one last time. She’d let him aimlessly poke around her body as she waited for the examination to be over, but an absent chill had sent her looking down. Her hands felt around, and sure enough, her back was solid. Not her entire back, but rather the muscles near her scapula. 

The bells above them rang again, and she couldn’t help but feel nostalgic at the familiar sound.  _ It’s the north side.  _ She tilted her head to the side as she blinked, but couldn’t figure out how she knew it was from that direction. 

He regarded her with one last look over the shoulder before leaving, his footsteps tumbling down the tunnels. 

_ I need to find Bella.  _ She contemplated bringing some type of weapon with her, but even the hatchet would be heavy in contrast to her little arms. In the end, she found that she had a weapon with her all along, a small and well-concealed weapon at that. She skipped out into the dim mines with her hand in her pocket, gently caressing her pocket knife. 

:-:-:-:-:

The young-adults were annoying, if you could even consider them young adults. Jason much preferred the term teenagers, since they almost acted less mature than their actual age. Nothing out of the ordinary, with them just eating and chatting while doing some other activity. He would’ve held a bored expression too, if not for the worry building deep within him. 

Lily looked at him with no recognition in her blue eyes, and she was spacing out for the majority of their walk back. He would’ve let it go under normal circumstances, passing it off as a bad day or something similar, if not for the fact that she just…  _ became  _ a ghost, right in front of him. She wasn’t  _ dead _ . No, that couldn’t be it. His fingers dug into the creases of his pants as he entertained the scenario. No, he just needed to get Bella and her to switch again. Then everything would be fine. 

The chatter of the teens died down as night approached, but the tightening and release of his fists never faded. Finally, the last sign of light flickered and disappeared as the shuffling in the tents slowed, and even then, he waited a little longer before moving. 

Their breathing was what gave it away. He knew their exact location, and with one thrust, the blade stole away their life. If he were honest, he was being quite merciful, ending them with one quick blow to the chest while they slept peacefully. Before long, there was only one tent left. The moonlight gave it a green shine, but in reality, it was navy blue. He readied his machete as he listened, but there was nothing. He tried again. The tent laid silent and unmoving as he closed his eyes and concentrated, but he could not detect even the slightest disturbance to the soft wind. He had no doubt in his skills, and by this point, he knew something was wrong. 

:-:-:-:-:

The forest was dark by the time she stumbled upon a person, but not the one she sought out. The man took a timid stance that contradicted his calm expression. She didn’t bother to hide the rustles her body made against the bush as she emerged, and the man visibly relaxed. 

“Oh, hi there. Wait, what are you doing out this late?”

_ I could ask you the same.  _ He held as much, if not more suspicious than her.  _ I don’t trust him.  _ Those were not her thoughts, but she brushed it off as she tried to think of another thought. This time,  _ her  _ thoughts. 

“...Are you going to answer my question?” 

“Hi! I’m Lily!”

“Uh… okay. Hi, Lily?”

She wasn’t sure what made her burst out that sentence, but she felt more at ease after spewing out the words. 

“What are  _ you  _ doing out so late, mister?” She failed to bite her tongue before she could swallow the word mister, and she felt her mood drop a notch as the word barged its way into her sentence. 

“Ladies first. I’ll tell you if you tell me.” 

_ That’s stupid.  _ The shadows that draped over her face concealed her furrowing eyebrows as she tried to locate where these intrusive thoughts were coming from. She couldn’t pinpoint it, but had a feeling it was undoubtedly caused by the voice from before. 

“I’m taking a walk.” A simple lie, if a lie at all. She was, for one, actually taking a walk. It was just that she had an objective she needed to fulfill while taking the walk. 

“Same here, except I can defend myself.”

“What are you implying?” The words stuffed themselves into her mouth before she could object, and she found herself saying sentences with words even she didn’t fully understand.

“Little girls shouldn’t be wandering in a forest when it’s night, so you should go back to your house or something and go to sleep.” The man shrugged, “your mom or dad might be worried.” 

_ “I’m not little!”  _ Was what she wanted to shout, before she found herself in her head, surrounded by the familiar buildings and houses. She clamped her eyelids shut as she tried to snap out of it, but her eyes still opened up to the same scenery. She pursed her lips as she angrily walked down the ruined roads, but before storming around the houses in circles, she visited the plant again.  _ Did it get bigger?  _ She poked one of its leaves, and it bounced a little before stretching just a tiny bit taller. 

“It’s not your concern. If anything, I’d be worried about you and your friend’s well-being.” She narrowed her eyes for a moment, and the trees behind the man appeared unnaturally dark. “On second thought, they’re probably dead already, and you’re next.” 

“Yeah, okay—” His sentence was cut off as he fell to the side, but not fully, as his legs caught him before the fall. He did not continue speaking as he punched Jason on the side of his jaw, purely driven by reflex. 

Jason didn’t even grunt as he returned the courtesy, uppercutting the man’s jaw before letting his unconscious body fall to the ground. His eyes immediately softened upon landing on Lily, and he rushed over to her in a hurry. His hands hovered all over her body to express worry, and landed on her shoulders after he found no cuts or scratches. 

“He isn’t dead yet, you know.”

An unnerving chill danced across his arms as he processed her words. He reeled back from her as he looked into her eyes—they were stripped of sympathy, but not entirely cold. They were still blue, but clouded, as though a fog found its way inside her pupils. 

“You should probably kill him before he wakes up.”

Her sentence disturbed him, to say the least. It seemed so sour, the words coming from her mouth. What she said was true, but they almost sounded cruel. He uncomfortably shuffled towards the man before lodging the machete in his skull. He couldn’t mask the sound of the weapon sliding out from bone, but he did his best to hide the act with his body. 

“Oh, hello!” She found herself brought back into reality to a corpse, free of blood. She thought to scream, but her lips only parted a little as it displayed acknowledgment. She found it odd how she didn’t find the body scary, but shook it off as she looked up to face her friend.

“You know, I was just in my imaginary village, and I found out that the plant grew bigger!” She lifted one finger as she recalled how many leaves stuck out from its stem. “It had two bouncy leaves, and they were both very blue.” 

He smiled at the return of the usual, normal Lily, but couldn’t forget about her behavior just now. The cheerful edge returned to her voice, but the mist plaguing her eyes still remained, however subtle. 

She managed to notice something off about him, too. Through the small dark holes in his mask, his smile was kept as tight as a line. With it, came an uneasy stance, in between friendly and wary. 

He grunted again, but followed it up with the word  _ stay,  _ and a tilt of his head. He was already a bit dejected, finding her out and about after he gave her a stern look and outright stated to stay there. However, his worry out-weighed his low spirit, and he knew it was already dark even before he had left the cabin. Not to mention, he wasn’t sure where Lily’s knowledge of the forest laid. If he learned anything from observing some of her jogs, it was that she would just pick whatever route piqued her interest at the moment. And that usually led to her being lost. 

“I need to find Bella.” She figured he wouldn’t be able to understand the feelings she held right now, and she didn’t want to burden him with it either. With intrusive thoughts both left and right, it was nearly impossible to find the right words she wanted to say. The only clear thing she could remember was Bella, the one who would be able to answer her questions. His drooping eyes did little to persuade her as she turned to walk away. 

His palm pressed against her shoulder as he tried to stop her, and his fingers dug into her flesh. Well, more like her soul, since a cold jolt was all she needed before she whipped around and stared at him. 

:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this chapter might be somewhat confusing, but worry not! For I can explain! For those of you who need some clearing up, I can help. Now, if you were wondering why Lily would say things like "He's not dead, you know." It's because that is not actually her usual self speaking. This is still Lily, but heavily influenced by Bella's disposition. I don't want to overexplain, so I'll leave it at that. If you have any more questions or need help knowing why certain characters did what they did, feel free to ask in the comments! Until next time!


	30. Shifting Tides

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are curious about the absence of the missing chapter 31, please read the notes at the end of this chapter.

The grinding of the machete was the only thing that hummed in the stretching silence as Jason eyed the silver blade. He fixed his gaze firmly on the spinning stone as he tried to listen to Lily’s snores. There weren’t any. All contact the machete had with the grinding stone ceased as he spun up to check on her.

She was still there, sitting in the mattress, staring back at him. _That’s right_ , _she—ghosts, don’t sleep._ As though she read his thoughts, she immediately replied,

“I’m still not tired.”

Her hips were currently positioned in a side split, with her left leg in front of her right. She finished reviewing the nic nacs pile long ago, but barely remembered more than a few interesting objects. She leaned back as she stretched to grab her right heel. She tightened her core as she arched her spine, and after a while, she managed to wrap her hands around her foot. 

“Hey, look!” She had a feeling she wasn’t the only one being surprised. He was slightly out of sight, but a blurry outline of his shoulder was still visible. “Look, I did it!” She could see more of his body inching into view now, and her smile widened as she arched her back even more, ignoring the slight soreness and pain it caused her.

“What do you think?” She saw him nod vigorously as he bent down and examined her. She wasn’t sure what he was thinking, with the mask hiding the majority of his face, but sensed it was something close to amazement. 

She let her hands relax as she straightened up to her original position, and watched as he stood up. He positioned himself as he lowered into the ground, one leg in front of the other. 

Her eyes widened as she watched with interest. For some reason, she held the belief that muscular people aren't as flexible. He sucked his core in as he tried to lean back and imitate her. Unfortunately, he only went three fourth of the way there when he stopped. 

“Did it hurt?” He nodded as she tilted her head to the side. “Isn't it hot in your clothes? Especially in that mask.” His pants didn’t seem to help his movement very well, and his coat looked heavy sitting on his shoulders.

He pushed himself up before answering her question with a shake of his head. 

“Why do you wear a mask?” She remembered the awkward sensation of having her face completely covered as sweat built up on her nose. Her hand scratched at the phantom itch as she looked at him, but he turned away. 

She got up and walked over as she tried to peek at his face, but found her body being pushed away violently. Thankfully, her foot stumbled back and caught her before she could crumple to the ground. 

There was a time when her patience was longer and more admirable than even some adults, but that stage had gone and left. She could feel herself being shoved back into the dark entrance of her head as her subconscious embraced her once again. Her eyelids were heavy stones as gravity pulled them down, but before they blinded her completely, she could see a being made of scarlet. It had traces of what she could recognize to be herself, but still foreign enough to be someone else. She didn’t bother trying to gain control this time, and instead stepped back, leaning into the now softer but still pushing force. 

“That was unnecessary.” Heat poured into her cheeks, but she wretched the control into her hands as she kept the temperature down. She pushed the dams back until they returned to normal. Thirty seconds had passed, but he was still facing the stone wall, unwilling to look her in the eye.

“What if I was still human and still breathing? Do you know how hard you jerked me away?” Her tongue was a knife, and it had barely grazed him. “You might not know this, but everytime your hand goes through me, I feel a freezing jolt that _hurts._ ” Her blade began pushing against the skin, past the frail layers above, but it was still not enough. Blood would be drawn, and plenty of it would ooze out before she was satisfied. 

“You need to stop hiding behind that mask, Jason.” His body remained a heavy boulder, but the miasma of anger grew heavy in the room, tainting it with a heavy odor. “Why aren’t you facing me?” She crossed her arms in frustration as he still seemed intent on staring at the wall, paying her no mind as he shrunk into his corner. “If you aren’t going to talk, then I’m leaving.” She crossed the room in no time, making sure he heard her booming footsteps as she left the room. 

“Come talk to me when you’re done hiding,” She whispered, but she knew he had heard it. He was, after all, the legendary Jason Voorhees. 

:-:-:-:-:

Dread. Big black puddles of dread pooled beneath him as he tried to analyze what just happened. He groaned loudly, but it had no effects of lifting the pain. His palm laid gently on his mask as he mouthed her words without sound, and even without her presence, they hurt. He _was_ hiding, and so what? He needed time, everybody did. Then why was she so mad at him specifically? He had done nothing even remotely negative to her so far, and even if some of his action were questionable, in the end, it was all for her well being. So why couldn’t Lily understand that?

The wall looked the same as ever as she spat her words out with venom, and he could feel his defenses waking up from their slumber. Her voice grew faint but audible, and he found himself lost in a trance as he morphed her words into a soft lullaby. 

The wall looked the same as ever as she brought up his mask. He couldn’t enter the peaceful, trance like state anymore as he searched for another distraction. His body froze, and he felt like an ice cube as he felt his insides freeze along with him. 

He only slightly averted his gaze from the stone wall after the clear footfalls had left, but only when he heard the trapdoor close with a slam did he turn to move his feet. 

And here he was, pitying himself as he persuaded him conscious that he wasn’t _really_ hiding. His hand covered his face before he could convince himself any further. He sat with his legs planted firmly to the ground, thinking of what to do next. Confrontation was what they both wanted, but his feet stood like cement blocks every time he tried to exit the room. He wanted to let his worry take over. That would force him out of this state, and he would be able to make sure she arrived home safely. He would also let impulse control his every action. 

He stood up. Emotions drove people in all sorts of ways, and he was not going to risk Lily doing something as reckless as deciding to take a nap out in the woods again. 

Ring! The bells rang once, and then quieted back down as the string they were attached to came to a stop. She was heading in the right direction, no doubt about it. _In such a short time too._ His knees slumped back down, since there was clearly nothing to worry about. There was nothing he could do but sit and let time run its course. That is, until he realized the fact that he failed to clean up the corpses that still laid in tents to this very moment. He blinked his glassy eyes at the worktable in front of him before making up his mind. He could almost hear his mother rebuking him for neglecting his duties, but he needed to rest, both physically and mentally. 

He would wait till morning, he decided after dwelling in chaotic turmoil, threatening to lump together with his mental fatigue and force him to faint. He brought his knees up to his chest as his back lined up with the cold wall. It was comforting, being the only thing he felt like he could lean against without having to think about anything. Maybe this was what Lily was referring to when she had compared him to a popsicle. He blinked slowly for a few more times before blacking out, this was an important nap he definitely needed. 

:-:-:-:-:

She had tripped over something tight like a rope. No, a tripwire. Her arms twitched as her mind fought to retain balance. Why? Why didn’t she remember? She found herself going through the pile of junk again even though she had already gone through it a dozen times. Why did she forget Jason’s name? Her thoughts ran faster than her as they tripped over each other, their legs tangled at the knees. 

_I_ really _need to find Bella._ She can’t remember what she had said, but the pained look on Jason’s face led her to believe that she was the cause of it. _No, I’m sorry!_ Her hands went up to cover her ears as the voice that provoked this appeared again, trying to swindle her with its false comfort. _Leave. Leave!_ She hit her head several times until the pain generated enough dizziness to make her stop. She shouldn’t have let her patience run thin. Now she had to deal with finding Bella and her newly arised mental problems. 

She waited, but the voice did not come back, sparing her the torment of its presence. She walked to her cabin in the dark, guided by the familiarly dark outline of the trees as the crickets sang to her. Their singing wasn’t very good, and the constant chirping grew annoying. It was better than nothing, though. 

:-:-:-:-:

Bella woke up groggily as she looked at the forest, the foul smell of her breath catching up to her. She quietly unzipped the sleeping bag as she got up slowly. The cold sting of the air told her it was early, and so she left to return the stolen sleeping bag. Not like it would’ve mattered much to the owners, since they were dead. She shunned out the feeling of sadness at it prodded at her, accompanied by a voice. _If only they didn’t come here…_

She silenced the protruding thought that belonged elsewhere as she started walking. Ended with a single wound to the head, she had found them lying in their sleeping bags, underneath a tent with a ripped opening. Their eyes were still closed, giving off the illusion of sleep that would’ve been believable if she had ignored the giant dark slit in the center of their skull. 

She arrived at the place she had stolen the makeshift cot from, only to find them missing. The place had been cleaned out completely, as though there were never people that camped here. She had a feeling this would happen, with her luck. So he turned up before her? Big deal. She wasn’t the famous warden of a camp that killed people. It wasn’t _her_ job to wake up early and tidy up the area. She propped the sleeping bag against a tree as she turned to walk away. 

She didn’t get far before a soft voice reached out to her.

“You’re Bella.” 

She turned around to Lily. Her head pounded, and the dormant voice she’d managed to silence so well came roaring back as it screamed at her to get closer, to let her return. She retreated back, as she stared at Lily in pain, pressing her fingers against her searing temple.

“Wait! Can you please tell me what’s going on? I don’t know what happened before, but I just want it to go back to normal, so please!” 

“Shut up!” The pain nearly doubled as she ground the words out of her teeth, and she swore she could feel her skull being forcibly pushed outward. “Stop yelling. You don’t want  _ him  _ to come here, do you?” Her face scrunched up painfully as she tried to push the voice out, but it wouldn’t yield. She seethed in pain as Lily approached her warily, but she backed away farther. 

“Don’t come closer. Just… stay… over there, please.” She groaned again as her skull fought the building pressure. 

Lily stood back as she was told, and could only watch as Bella writhed and struggled like she was fighting an invisible enemy, a strong one, no less. She watched Bella bite her lips tell until they were completely red, but her teeth still stayed lodged in her flesh as her body twisted and bent. She could only back away to a safe distance as she waited.

:-:-:-:-:-:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if the writing in the chapter seems off, or not as descriptive. I have written different scenes for the same situations but I couldn't really find a good one, so I hope you guys can cope with this for now. Anyhow, till next time, see you! ;D
> 
> ____________________________
> 
> Since this is the latest chapter, I will explain why I have deleted chapter 31 of Lily of the Valley. 
> 
> Alrighty, first of all, my writing is horrid. I am so sorry that your eyes had to even read the monstrosity that was chapter 31. The first half of the chapter was flatter and blander than a white piece of printer paper. And, the way Lily and Bella switched back was lame as hell. I cringe every time I read it and try to improve or edit it. Like, what was I thinking when I decided to click the post button?
> 
> The second half was better, but still sucked. The sentence structure made me, the original writer confused and squint at my computer screen. Now, I believe my dramatic decline in my proficiency to write is due to not writing. Sounds confusing, right? It's quarantine, so logically, I should have more time. Well. Let's just leave it at some home issues. 
> 
> In conclusion,(I feel like I'm writing a persuasive essay in high school again) I will sharpen my writing skills so that you guys don't have to go blind or receive brain damage trying to decipher my wacky writing. Until I feel that I have caught up to my original skill level, I will be temporarily pausing this story. 
> 
> Sincerely, Me.


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